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Rwanda, Racism, and Gobble-lization

Environmental expert Molly Rooke and I were thrilled with the new movie,
Hotel Rwanda. It tells the story of Paul Rusesabagina, who managed a luxury hotel through the genocide committed there ten years back. While the world watched impassively, over 800,000 people were massacred. It's a terrific movie, scheduled for wide release in early January.

On KNON's "Worker's Beat" program, 8-9 AM Wednesday, December 1, on 89.3 FM, Molly and I talked about the movie. We wondered aloud why the great industrialized nations, who have no problem with military interventions when it suits them, didn't do anything about this most horrible of modern atrocities. The answer that callers gave us, of course, was racism. If the stakes had included oil, instead of human rights and basic dignity, we were all sure that the soldiers would have been there.

From that realization, it was no jump at all to see that the foreign policy of industrialized nations, including ours, is driven by economic exploitation and nothing else. If there is economic advantage to be gained, military forces are there. Naturally, Molly and I then turned to talk about gobble-lization, which is what the industrialized nations like to call "free trade."

Gobble-lization is racism incarnate. Gobble-lization is economic exploitation at home and abroad. Nothing else. The "Central American Free Trade Agreement," like NAFTA before it, will provide big corporations with opportunities to rip off the people of Central America while destroying good jobs here in America. We can still stop CAFTA if we work together.

That night, December 1, the Interfaith Committee for Economic Justice met at the Dallas Peace Center. They talked about more and better ways to oppose gobble-lization. They have set up a Speakers Bureau, which provides North Texans with speakers and information on why we should oppose racist gobble-lization and how to do it. It's a great idea!

Let me know if you want to participate!

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KNON's "Worker's Beat" program is only one of many community service programs offered 24/7. Tune in to 89.3 FM or listen on www.knon.org.