Lessons vs. globalization

DIE HARD III
Herman Tiu Laurel
11/7/2005



Whatever the result from the eventual demise of Gloria’s regime, be it a restoration of the Estrada government or an outright military junta transition, the task of setting Philippine society aright is crucial. Several plans have been put forward, of these only the one produced by the U.P. scholars led by Dr. Dodong Nemenzo has the depth and comprehensiveness to constitute a viable plan. This plan has been adopted by President Joseph E. Estrada. As for the other anti-Gloria groups like Cory’s Black and White, as well as all the others, they absolutely have no plan presented at all.

The matter of economic, trade and financial policies is at the heart of the nation’s crisis, thus these are the priority issues. The “Blueprint for a Viable Philippines” of Nemenzo has clear ideas on this: On trade, it recommends that “commitments to further trade liberalization, whether multilateral, regional or bilateral, will be frozen pending a full review… selectively raise tariffs… adopt urgent measure against dumping and import surges…” These are clearly policies to mitigate the damage from dog-eat-dog free trade and globalization.

On debt, it recommends an audit and the possibility of debt moratorim; on energy and industrialization is recommends respectively the implementation of “a strategic energy development policy that merely exploit cheap labor” and a shift from “export-processing enclaves” to “regional and industrial cluster”. Broad strokes, yes, as its authors stresses. We can not fault them for some omissions, for example, the imperative to renegotiate the contract price and PPA with Independent Power Producer contracts.

Blueprint may not be complete, but its better than what other groups now jumping on the anti-Gloria bandwagon have done. The Black and White, the smallest component of the anti-Gloria movement, advocates the E-VAT which makes them worse that Gloria who is at least hedging from implementing it (but no doubt will be forced to). If Black-and-White and Cory took an anti-EVAT stand it is very doubtful she’ll get the Rockefeller award for leadership given last week. The Black-and-White is really an out-and-out tool of the globalists.

The hullabaloo being generated by other anti-Gloria groups are superficial. The Tribunal to try Gloria of her crimes will have four days of trial against Gloria, but the public already knows she is guilty of –stealing, lying and election cheating. The trial is four years late, the Edsa Tres forces had exposed all those to the public a long time ago, that’s why after four years Gloria could not hide anymore. Still, we are not discouraging Tito Guingona from proceeding with the Tribunal, we just want to put things in their correct perspective.

While the Philippines is still struggling, Latin-American countries have essentially gone through the same crisis of the Philippines have already recovered and are surging forward already. Let us highlight Argentina and Venezuela. There are lessons to be learned from them and dramatized at Summit of the Americas held last week at Buenos Aires and attending by all Latin-American countries and Bush. Two leaders opposing U.S. and globalization policies shone throughout.

Head-to-head with Bush, Argentine President Nestor Kirchner freely and roundly lashed at the U.S. policy of free trade and globalization, practically lecturing Bush who had difficulty suppressing his discomfiture. All Bush could say was that Kirchner had “…wise decisions (Krichner)… in dealing with a difficult circumstance… that his record is such now that he can take his case to the IMF with a much stronger hand.” Bush made no mention of the Free Trade Area of the Americas.

Krichner stated at the opening of the Summit: “Neolliberalism has failed… Today, there is empirical evidence of the failure of these theories; our region is evidence of that failure...the horrific consequences of the policies of structural adjustment, tragically, outline the map of Latin American instability… Trickle-down economics have demonstrably failed…” Kirchner denounced the IMF for refusing to refinance its debt unless it accepts the conditionalities …which are none other than those which lead to our [debt] default."

Most important is that Bush granted that Krichner now has a stronger hand after Argentina’s quick recovery from the debt default. The Philippines could have an even a faster and stronger rebound if properly planned. Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez, on the other hand, is being lionized by the entire Latin America, and sports celebrity Maradonna even joined Chavez onstage to celebrate his Bolivarian success. Chavez has openly opposed the Free Trade of the Americas Agreement (FTAA) deal of Bush.

Chavez has said that the if FTAA had been effective, Venezuela could not be making business with China, such as the building of a satellite or buying arms from Russia, because “the intention is that the international trade agreement is above the Constitution and legal system of Venezuela… we’d have to declare the Constitution null and void, only the empire’s (US) constitution would be valid.” The struggle against FTAA, he finally said, is not only to defend “what we have, which is not much, but to defend all we can have and achieve."

Fidel Castro elicited laughter from the Summit audience, covering the “time up” light with a white handkerchief as he started his renowned long and fiery speech. Latin America is feeling liberation, when will we follow suit? The post-Gloria era must follow the Latin American stars, not the FVR-JdV-Croy formulas.

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