Alternative Perspective
 Issue 29, April 24, 2003
Compiled by Madhukar Shukla

 Alternative Perspective is an attempt to widen our awareness about issues related to business, environment, role and influence of media, geo-politics, culture, etc. It aims to share, on a regular basis, some of those pieces of news and information, which do not find place in the highly monopolised mainstream media. Please feel free to share/ forward/ distribute this newsletter to others who may be interested.



Note: The URLs of sources used in the text are numbered and given at the end of the Newsletter.

In This Issue:
  • West has been Liberating Middle-East for Centuries
    "Our armies do not come into your cities and lands as conquerors or enemies, but as liberators"... No, this is not General Tommy Franks/Jay Garner in 2003. This was the proclamation by General Maude, who led British army to liberate Iraq in 1917 (British ruthlessly ruled Iraq for next 15 years[1]). And neither were British the first army to liberate a nation of middle-east from the clutches of a tyrant. French liberated Syria and Lebenon, Naepolean liberated Egypt, Crusader's liberated Turks... Reading this part of the middle-east history makes one wonder about the fetish which the West seems to have about "liberating" the middle east - and colonizing it in the guise of establishing "democracy"[2]
    http://www.zmag.org/content/print_article.cfm?itemID=3195§ionID=15

  • "Thumbs-Up" Welcome to Iraq
    Well, jokes - and the different meaning of "thumbs-up" in Iraq and US - apart... but, as days go by, the middle-east meaning of "thumbs-up" (as compared to West's understanding of this gesture) seems to more accurately describe the "welcome", which the coalition forces have started receiving in Iraq. The victors seemed to be better prepared for waging war than for the aftermath of victory[3]. Nothing seems to have prepared them for developments, such as:
  • democracy may mean bringing religious/fundamentalist foces into power[4]
  • with the newly found freedom to protest, the religious leaders ask the liberators to leave[5]
  • even with the fall of regime, Ba'athists remain in control[6]...
    ...etc. And more seems to be round the corner.
    http://www.shockingelk.com/text/thumbs_up/

  • The Dollar Crisis
    This interview with - and the basic thesis of - Richard Duncan, author of The Dollar Crisis - read the description and review[7] may seem alarmist to some. But then Duncan, a financial analyst, is known to have predicted the collapse of Thailand economy back in 1993, has worked with World Bank, and has been a consultant to IMF... so he should know a few things about a possible financial crisis.
    http://www.business-in-asia.com/dollar_crisis.html

  • Up Against that Wall-Mart
    WalMart is a case-study to beat all business case studies. As the world's largest retail chain, $220bn revenues, more than $6bn profits, 3,300+ stores, one million workers, and accounting for 2% of US GDP, WalMart remains an idol - and benchmark - of business success. Behind this success - often not reported - is another story of union-busting, average annual pay of $18,000, discriminations, etc... the corporate version of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, one may say...
    http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2003/10/ma_276_01.html

  • Corporate Globalization: One Word at a Time
    While the debate between the supporters and detractors of neo-liberal globalisation continues, often we fail to recognise the subtle influence of the vocabulary used in this debate on our perception/judgement. In this vocabulary, "anti-"globalisation refers to those who point out the gloabal environmental impact of corporate decisions/ economic policies; "free market" hides the non-tarrif barriers and how the global commodity prices are determined by a handful of speculators; "choice" actually means the lack of it... and so on.
    http://www.guerrillanews.com/globalization/doc1062.html


    Other Sources Quoted in the Newsletter:
    [1]: http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,939608,00.html
    [2]: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_21-4-2003_pg4_21
    [3]: http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0421/p02s01-woiq.html
    [4]: http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,937652,00.html
    [5]: http://www.iht.com/articles/93772.html
    [6]: http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,940335,00.html
    [7]: http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Global_Economy/ED05Dj02.html


    Archives
    [Your Feedback] [View Guest Book]
    To Subscribe, pl send a blank mail to
    [email protected]
    Hosted by www.Geocities.ws

    1