Communitarian Alternative: Open_Notes 2

the "National Interest", the image that all this is done for the public good vs. the conflicting interests, the "Special Interests" (the public demands); the responsible men have to be protected from the trampling herd - the "tools and tyrants of government" (-James Madison) - the state-corporate nexus -- FTA's (Free Trade Agreement) in the National Interest - a striking example of how public attitudes and policy divert - FTA's represent TNC's, they are not agreements in the public sense - fast track legislation vs. public exposure - MAI needed fast tract; negotiated in secret for 03 yrs; early 1998 "Business Week" article; an extraordinary giveaway of power to corporations vs. democratic and human rights; grassroots action opened the MAI and it failed to pass due to public pressure (not shelved; just paused); seeping back in other ways, ie., WTO Meeting, Seattle, Nov. 1999.

public demands vs. genetically engineered foods (called collective madness, widespread hysterical fear by the corporate media) - rigid doctrinal controls threatened -- post WWII system designed: 1 UN; 2 Universal Declaration of Human Rights; 3 Bretton Wood's (stable currencies, national controls), international economic system designed (capital mobile and unrestrained) vs. sovereign-democratic, social-economic rights; early 1970s controls on financial flows eliminated, mostly speculative, only 05% now linked to actual trade; IMF (third-world cultural adjustment system) -- in 1999 the average household income has reached 1989 levels with longer hours of work -- these are human decisions, a doctrinal system [SAGE] - we must place our fate in our own hands. -- [Notes 1,2] [NPR, Alternative Radio, Noam Chomsky, "Globalization", talk given at Boston College, Oct.99, bdcst. Nov.27.99, with [inserts]]

Communitarian Alternative: Open_Notes 2