Destruction, Development, and Rebirth
Created | Updated Mar 24, 2002
Out world is not perfect. Most people on this little ball live in poverty. Living in North Amarica, the worlds most prosprous continet, we are not made aware of this at all times. Out prosperity is bought with the poverty of others. People should not have to live in povery just because of where they live. It was not always this way. There were not always developing nations, for, at one point, people of the world aspired for a better world together.
The First recorded case of global oppression began with colonialism -- the act of using one nation's economic and militalry power to oppress the society of another nation.(Add ref.) Even though this probably was the first brick to be placed at the foundation of the World Bank, the world at this point was still a rather balanced place. People were starving and dying in both the oppresing nation and in those that were oppressed. In some cases, you probably would have been able to find worse living condition in nations practicing colonialism because of their hight population density resulting in pollution.
Out current situation developed out of the ashes of World War II. The destruction of the Nazi Empire was wrought at a huge cost. Whole cites where turned to ruggle; bridges, factories, and cathedral were demolished by mass bombing and urban warfare. At the same time, America was revving its industrial engine, pumping out masses of tanks, planes bullets, and artillery shells by applying Henry Ford's manufacturing techniques. After the war ther was an enormous gap that had to be filed. What was America, the only nation that truly came out of Wold War II on top, to do with it's vast industreal might?
Rebuilding Europe is what the Americans set their sights on next. By creating the World Bank and the IMF, they established a way of providing funds to nations that were in need of them. To Quote Kevin Danaher's 50 Years is Enough:
The World Bank and Intenational Monitary Fund(IMF) were created at the end of World War II by the U.S. and british Governemts. During the war the business classes of Europe were either supporting the Nazis, getting their banks and factories bombed into oblivion or they fled Eutope with all the money they could carry. On the other handm socialistm communists and anarchist had high credibility because they where the leaders of the Resistance to Nazi occupation. So in order to prevent leftist form coming to power in western Europe, it was crucial to U.S. and British elete to get the business classes back into power. This required international institution that would promote capitalist policies and strengthen the power of the corporate sector. (1)
This in turn enabled these conties to purchase much needed resouces both land and capital, while suppresing non-capitalist movments. It was not long before Europe was back on it's feet. The First World was established and now it wanted to extend the wonders of its amazing development system to the rest of the world. The White Man's Burden had to be taken up. The Western World would help spread it's wondergul capitalism to every nation.
The unwritten goal of the IMF and World Bank was to inegrate the elites af all countries into the capitalist world system of rewards and punishments. The billions of dollars controlled by the IMF and World Bank have helped to create greater allegiance of national majorities. When the World Bank and IMF lend money to debtor countries the money comes with strings attached. The policy prescriptions are usualy referred to as "structural adjustment" and they require that the
The First recorded case of global oppression began with colonialism -- the act of using one nation's economic and militalry power to oppress the society of another nation.(Add ref.) Even though this probably was the first brick to be placed at the foundation of the World Bank, the world at this point was still a rather balanced place. People were starving and dying in both the oppresing nation and in those that were oppressed. In some cases, you probably would have been able to find worse living condition in nations practicing colonialism because of their hight population density resulting in pollution.
Out current situation developed out of the ashes of World War II. The destruction of the Nazi Empire was wrought at a huge cost. Whole cites where turned to ruggle; bridges, factories, and cathedral were demolished by mass bombing and urban warfare. At the same time, America was revving its industrial engine, pumping out masses of tanks, planes bullets, and artillery shells by applying Henry Ford's manufacturing techniques. After the war ther was an enormous gap that had to be filed. What was America, the only nation that truly came out of Wold War II on top, to do with it's vast industreal might?
Rebuilding Europe is what the Americans set their sights on next. By creating the World Bank and the IMF, they established a way of providing funds to nations that were in need of them. To Quote Kevin Danaher's 50 Years is Enough:
The World Bank and Intenational Monitary Fund(IMF) were created at the end of World War II by the U.S. and british Governemts. During the war the business classes of Europe were either supporting the Nazis, getting their banks and factories bombed into oblivion or they fled Eutope with all the money they could carry. On the other handm socialistm communists and anarchist had high credibility because they where the leaders of the Resistance to Nazi occupation. So in order to prevent leftist form coming to power in western Europe, it was crucial to U.S. and British elete to get the business classes back into power. This required international institution that would promote capitalist policies and strengthen the power of the corporate sector. (1)
This in turn enabled these conties to purchase much needed resouces both land and capital, while suppresing non-capitalist movments. It was not long before Europe was back on it's feet. The First World was established and now it wanted to extend the wonders of its amazing development system to the rest of the world. The White Man's Burden had to be taken up. The Western World would help spread it's wondergul capitalism to every nation.
The unwritten goal of the IMF and World Bank was to inegrate the elites af all countries into the capitalist world system of rewards and punishments. The billions of dollars controlled by the IMF and World Bank have helped to create greater allegiance of national majorities. When the World Bank and IMF lend money to debtor countries the money comes with strings attached. The policy prescriptions are usualy referred to as "structural adjustment" and they require that the
