Did We Get Hosed? The Other Side of Globalization
Using leaked memos and interviews with former officials, a new book makes explosive claims about the IMF, World Bank, U.S., Enron, and BP
Nick Will, Editor In Chief
Issue date: 4/16/02 Section: News
In his interview on CSPAN, the U.S. government cable channel, Palast began an interview by criticizing a recent pro-globalization series on PBS, which the New York Times said "in case after case shows how countries as different as Chile and China became richer by opening up their economies," a series that Palast says was paid for by BP.
Excerpts from Palast's recent CSPAN interview follow. His comments include sharp criticism of the World Bank and IMF in developing nations, Enron, Saudi Arabia and U.S. interests, and rampant corruption throughout the principal actors of globalization.
The PBS Pro-Globalization Special
Palast: "What you're getting tonight is propaganda film. First of all, they should make it clear that this is paid for by [BP]. A multinational oil corporation... BBC would never take a dime from BP, they have to come over here to buy a network. I actually don't find this very cute at all, I think it's a film which is utterly unbalanced. What this is is a long, deep kiss to globalization...
"No dissent is allowed from the pro-globalization consensus on American television. And no real information is given out . It's cheerleading and nonsense and I think it actually crosses the point of unethical journalism, when you have a multinational oil company talking about the wonders of multinational oil companies, and they're paying for it on the public broadcast system."
Policies and Programs of IMF, WB and WTO
Palast: "These policies are a financial coup de tat of third world nations. I need to thank all the people who slipped me confidential documents from inside the IMF...
"I have inside documents from the World Bank regarding 'country assistance plans' - long documents about Tanzania, Argentina, Ecuador, you name it... These are not pretty documents. It's not about the wonders of globalization... [The documents] contain what the IMF and World Bank together call "conditionalities," about 111 for each nation. [In other words], if you want to borrow money on the international market, you go with their terms ["conditionalities"].
Excerpts from Palast's recent CSPAN interview follow. His comments include sharp criticism of the World Bank and IMF in developing nations, Enron, Saudi Arabia and U.S. interests, and rampant corruption throughout the principal actors of globalization.
The PBS Pro-Globalization Special
Palast: "What you're getting tonight is propaganda film. First of all, they should make it clear that this is paid for by [BP]. A multinational oil corporation... BBC would never take a dime from BP, they have to come over here to buy a network. I actually don't find this very cute at all, I think it's a film which is utterly unbalanced. What this is is a long, deep kiss to globalization...
"No dissent is allowed from the pro-globalization consensus on American television. And no real information is given out . It's cheerleading and nonsense and I think it actually crosses the point of unethical journalism, when you have a multinational oil company talking about the wonders of multinational oil companies, and they're paying for it on the public broadcast system."
Policies and Programs of IMF, WB and WTO
Palast: "These policies are a financial coup de tat of third world nations. I need to thank all the people who slipped me confidential documents from inside the IMF...
"I have inside documents from the World Bank regarding 'country assistance plans' - long documents about Tanzania, Argentina, Ecuador, you name it... These are not pretty documents. It's not about the wonders of globalization... [The documents] contain what the IMF and World Bank together call "conditionalities," about 111 for each nation. [In other words], if you want to borrow money on the international market, you go with their terms ["conditionalities"].