Overshadowed by George W Bush, the US Trade Representative is in Sydney today. She is one of the people driving the real agenda.
The agenda of APEC is to implement trade liberalisation- zero trade barriers in the Developed World by 2010, zero trade barriers in the Developing World by 2020. At each APEC meeting, countries must file reports on their progress in corporatising and privatising and deregulating their health, education, knowledge, environments, financial sector etc.
Yet much of this information slips between the cracks and never gets heard.
What we do hear is a distortion of the reality. An article in today's Sydney Morning Herald- from a speech to APEC- is so hypocritical -once you know the real story- it is beyond belief.
Appearing to be supporting the public sector, this article is entitled "Good public sector institutions essential for growth". But upon closer scrutiny, it is actually just a whitewash. It is promoting "well managed, accountable and ethical public institutions".
Yet APEC's policies of privatisation and deregulation, promoted through its acceleration of bilateral and multilateral trade negotiations -has crippled public institutions and their funding bases worldwide.
In this context, the call for ethical and effective practice is a mere platitude.
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3 comments:
one can't help but get the feeling that the rhetoric of 'good public sector institutions' = creating the necessary conditions for the deepening of private sector activity.
surely this definition of 'good' also imposes the logic of capital on the public sector...
"The report also says that government needs to be responsive, accessible and open, suggesting that this can be enhanced by privatisation and contracting out of services to the private sector."
I think we saw this coming from a mile out.
(nice site BTW, keep up the good work)
Hey Anna, loving your site and missing you heaps. Spent last weekend with Cam in Montreal! Might set up a blog site for my travels, since you've inspired me with this one :)
Sorry that was supposed to say hi Anne its Anna :)
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