anonymous excerpts

A few anonymous excerpts, some from people I know, indicating how fukt we are in building global democracy, fairer trade rules and eradicating poverty:

Concerning water privatization:
“water is god-given, but not the pipes”













“slums are a public embarrassment, so by denying them sanitation services there is the hope that slum dwellers will just leave”

Concerning aid:
“There is nothing wrong with the current global trading system, it’s all a supply-side problem…aid that has been ‘given’ has been squandered…so if the Integrated Framework [liberalizing your market and integrating deeper into the global trade regime] improves, it will be better than ‘Aid for Trade.’
“Integrated Framework is optimal, because it’s not just about trade integration, but trade development”
“Aid for Trade is an anti-market approach and LDCs are bought off buy this idea.”
“Aid for Trade will fail because most money will be spent for conferences/seminars/flying business class.”

Concerning international development organizations:
“[The one I work for] is not good at managing trust funds; funds should be given to Chicago Boy bankers, instead.”
“[In this organization] you can afford to be childish.”
“Constructive ambiguity is a good tool of diplomacy.”

Concerning trade:
“In trade we trust; trade for all.”
From G.W. Bush’s speech writer: “…Duty free/quota free [market access] should not be given to LDCs.” –aha! It shows how much US really does consider LDC interests, ha!
“The current GATS architecture is development friendly.”
From US ministers: “nothing came up [concerning agricultural subsidies] so there is nothing to discuss.”