Posted on 06/11/2007 1:19:30 PM PDT by Squidpup
June 11, 2007
An Unsustainable Development
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If there's a hell on earth, it's probably Zimbabwe. Life expectancies in the landlocked nation in the South of Africa are the world's lowest. Reports say women live an average of 35 years; men a bit longer. Four in five people are unemployed. Government printing presses run day and night to produce enough money to keep the military from rebelling, so inflation is at an annual rate of 3,700 percent and rising. Cash loses over ten percent of its value everyday.
It wasn't always that way. Before Robert Mugabe's government took power a quarter of a century ago, this land was one of the most prosperous in Africa. Known as the breadbasket of south Africa, it exported food to the rest of the continent. Then Mugabe was elected. He used his office to destroy his own market economy, silence the press, murder his opposition and persecute minority ethnic groups, black and white alike. Zimbabwe was, by any account, the most disastrously managed economy on the planet.
Two United Nations agencies have just released a report saying that 4 million people in Zimbabwe are in danger of starving. That's a third of the entire country's population. Take note that I said "two United Nations agencies" are predicting the mass starvation.
The reason I want you to take note of that is that, last month, the same United Nations elected Mugabe's Zimbabwe to lead the UN Commission on Sustainable Development. That's the organization charged with promoting sound long-term economies.
Now you might ask why a country in economic freefall would be chosen by the UN to advise the rest of the world about economic growth. But you might also ask why Iran was made vice-chair of the UN Disarmament Commission last year -- even as it ramped up its nuclear weapons program and threatened to destroy Israel. Or, for that matter, you might wonder why Libya was made chair of the Commission on Human Rights -- as Libyans don't even have basic democratic rights.
The UN never seems to have good answers, but I'll offer one. Robert Mugabe was given chairmanship of the commission because his view on sustainable development fits right in with much of the UN's.
He claims that third-world poverty is caused by free market economies like Americans -- and like the one that once made his country the envy of his region. He blames free and prosperous countries for the suffering that comes with tyranny and corruption. The sad thing is; Mugabe gets away with it, in part, because he has the glamour and prestige of the UN behind him.
Now we have to keep in mind that while the UN is hopeless in some respects, a Security Council vote provides political cover for some timid nations to do the right thing -- like help us in Iraq. Also, UN humanitarian assistance, like the World Food Programs, run by Americans, do much good. But its a constant challenge at the UN, and the reason we must always have a strong ambassador there willing to blow the whistle when they do outrageous things.
Don’t spend one cent on Zimbabwe
“April’s inflation rate jumped up from the 2,200% recorded last month, the Central Statistical Office (CSO) said.”
Yes, from about 30% monthly to about 40% monthly.
Note to George Will: this is why we like Fred. He “gets it”, and he isn’t afraid to call a spade a spade.
New book on FRed on sale today...
“The FRed Factor” by Steve Gill...
Great read...has everything you want to know...
The UN is a worthless pile of dog poo, and I’m always happy to inform people that it was founded in none other than San Franciso! Stupid idea then... dumb and deadly results ever since.
It'll be interesting to see how long it takes the left to refocus their vitriol from George Bush, a lame duck anti-borders free-spending compassionate conservative, to Fred Thompson, a man who actually opposes their entire agenda of evil.
The website below (an interview with Kenyan economics expert James Shikwati) says the U.N.’s World Food Program does lots of harm.
The example he uses is corn. Part of what gets shipped goes to the corrupt politicians to help keep them in power, and part gets dumped on the local market at such low prices that farmers cannot compete. Thus no local corn is grown, the agricultural infrastructure isn’t established, and they need more of the same handout next year.
I’m interested in Fred, but I hope he recognizes what the long term effects are of that World Food Program.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,363663,00.html
Interesting and tough question to get a grip on! Normally you would expect the focus to have shifted to the candidates by now...but the Demorats hate for GWB is so deep and ingrained (and pathological) that it hasn't happened.
I suspect Thompson won't become a focus for the Democrats until, when and if, he becomes the Publican front runner..which should be about 5 ms after he announces. It will happen because Thompson would thrash O'bama easily and is, and they know it, more than a match for Clinton. I don't think they feel, rightly or wrongly, that any of our present candidates represent an existential threat to either of their frontrunners.
He gets it.
That's the most naive and/or and/or uniformed and/or inaccurate and/or misleading description of this organization I have seen. Whichever the reason, it is disturbing.
dblshot-
Do you even know who John Birch was? I’m just asking.
I'm sure if we're patient the UN will be able to give us something even more naive, uninformed, inaccurate and misleading. They can't help themselves.
Explain - are you saying Fred is naive/uninformed/inaccurate/misleading or that the UN is?
Fred is indeed a globalist. However, the UN, which they do not control, is less useful to them than alliances like NATO, which they do control and are always trying to expand. (Don’t get me wrong, I want us out of the UN and all permanent alliances - those of you who think I am a nut for saying this, please read George Washington’s Farewell Address)
And why does Fred, proud member of the globalist Council on Foreign Relations, want to talk about Zimbabwe, formerly known as Rhodesia? Rhodesia was the first grand experiments by the globalists. It was founded by the CFR’s forbears. Here is the story:
Cecil Rhodes (1853-1902) went to Oxford University where to the amazement of no one, he learned that, “ the British upper classes possessed a glorious tradition of beauty, decency, education, law, and self discipline.” After a solid education at Oxford, he was now prepared to steal as much as he could from the native peoples of Africa. With the financial backing of the Rothschild banking interests he founded the Consolidated Gold Fields, and DeBeers diamond empire in southern Africa. He also founded a country wittily named Rhodesia.
“The idea gleaming and dancing before ones eyes like a will-of-the- wisp at last frames itself into a plan. Why should we not form a secret society with but one object, the furtherance of the British Empire and the bringing of the whole uncivilised world under British rule, for the recovery of the United States, for the making the Anglo-Saxon race one Empire. What a dream, but yet it is probable, it is possible.” —Cecil Rhodes, June 2, 1877
He desired “to federate the English - speaking peoples and to bring all the habitable portions of the world under their control. For this purpose Rhodes left part of his great fortune to found the Rhodes Scholarships at Oxford in order to spread the English ruling class tradition.” (Quigley)
“For fear that death might cut me off before the time for attempting its development, I leave all my worldly goods in trust ... to try to form such a Society with such an object.” — Cecil Rhodes, June 2, 1877
To these purposes Rhodes formed a private secret society with some very heavy hitters. Lord Balfour, Lord Gray, Lord Esher, Lord Rothschild, and Lord Milner (who organized a group called the British Round Table).
“From 1884 to about 1915 the members of the group worked valiantly to extend the British empire and to organize it into a federal system... Stead (one of the group) was able to get Rhodes to accept, in principle, a solution which might have made Washington the capital of the whole organization or allow parts of the empire to become states of the American Union.” ( Quigley )
The chief backbone of this organization grew up along the already existing financial cooperation running from the Morgan Bank in New York to a group of international financiers in London led by Lazard Brothers. Lord Milner became a director of the precursor to the giant Midland Bank. He became one of the greatest political and financial powers in England with his disciples placed throughout England in significant places, such as the editorship of the Times, the editorship of the Observer, the managing directorship of Lazard Brothers, various administrative posts, and even Cabinet positions. Ramifications were established in politics, high finance, Oxford and London Universities, periodicals, the civil service, and tax - exempt foundations.” ( Quigley )
“The methods [used by the Milner Group] can be summed up under three headings: (a) a triple-front penetration in politics, education, and journalism; (b) the recruitment of men of ability (chiefly from [certain universities]) and the linking of these men to the [Group] by matrimonial alliances and by gratitude for titles and positions of power; and (c) the influencing of public policy by placing members of the [Group] in positions of power shielded as much as possible from public attention. (The Anglo American Establishment - by Quigley)
After the death of Cecil Rhodes in 1902, Lord Milner became one of the executors of Rhodes’ trust. He organized “ discreet “ discussion / study / work groups known as the Round Table Groups throughout the Empire, including America. On May 30, 1919 members of different national delegations to the Paris Peace Conference met at the Hotel Majestic to discuss setting up an international group which would advise their respective governments on international affairs.
The planning delegations decided upon creating separate organizations cooperating with each other. They organized the Council on Foreign Relations ( Harrold Pratt House on East 68th Street in New York City). In 1922, it began publishing it’s official mouthpiece, Foreign Affairs Magazine http://www.foreignaffairs.org.
Fred. "sound economies"? NOT!
The United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) was established by the UN General Assembly in December 1992 to ensure effective follow-up of United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as the Earth Summit.The Commission is responsible for reviewing progress in the implementation of Agenda 21 and the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development; as well as providing policy guidance to follow up the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation (JPOI) at the local, national, regional and international levels. The JPOI reaffirmed that the CSD is the high-level forum for sustainable development within the United Nations system.
bookmark
I would vote that the UN is the one being misleading. They advertise that they are here to help - Fred sees their hypocrisy. I don’t see your point.
Here is the mandate of said committee:
http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/csd/csd_mandate.htm
Mandate of the Commission on Sustainable Development
The Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) was established as a functional commission of the Economic and Social Council by Council decision 1993/207. Its functions are set out in General Assembly resolution 47/191 of 22 December 1992. The Commission is composed of 53 members elected for terms of office of three years, meets annually for a period of two to three weeks and receives substantive and technical services from the Department of Economic and Social Affairs/Division for Sustainable Development. The Commission reports to the Economic and Social Council and, through it, to the Second Committee of the General Assembly.
The Commission on Sustainable Development is an inter-governmental body whose members are elected by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) from amongst the Member States of the United Nations and its specialized agencies. Thirteen members are elected from Africa; eleven from Asia; ten from Latin America and the Caribbean; six from Eastern Europe; and thirteen from Western Europe and other. One-third of the members are elected annually and outgoing members are eligible for re-election. Other States, United Nations organizations, accredited inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations can attend sessions of the CSD as observers.
The role of the Commission as a high level forum on sustainable development, includes:
to review progress at the international, regional and national levels in the implementation of recommendations and commitments contained in the final documents of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), namely: Agenda 21; and the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development.
to elaborate policy guidance and options for future activities to follow up the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation and achieve sustainable development
to promote dialogue and build partnerships for sustainable development with governments, the international community and the major groups identified in Agenda 21 as key actors outside the central government who have a major role to play in the transition towards sustainable development. These Major Groups include women, youth, indigenous peoples, non-governmental organizations, local authorities, workers and trade unions, business and industry, the scientific community, and farmers
...
Here is Agenda 21 TOC
http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/documents/agenda21/english/agenda21toc.htm
Agenda 21 - Table of Contents
Chapter Paragraphs
1. Preamble 1.1 - 1.6
SECTION I. SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DIMENSIONS
2. International cooperation to accelerate sustainable development in developing countries and related domestic policies 2.1 - 2.43
3. Combating poverty 3.1 - 3.12
4. Changing consumption patterns 4.1 - 4.27
5. Demographic dynamics and sustainability 5.1 - 5.66
6. Protecting and promoting human health conditions 6.1 - 6.46
7. Promoting sustainable human settlement development 7.1 - 7.80
8. Integrating environment and development in decision-making 8.1 - 8.54
The more I read of what Fred believes, the better I like him. What puzzles me is that I seem to be at odds with ninety percent of what others believe, yet Fred gets heavy support and I’m in that support. Some of us are going to be bitterly disappointed... but I can’t figure who.
Apparently you don’t know the meaning of the phrase “charged with”. He said that’s what they’re SUPPOSED to do, not that they were doing it.
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