Cardinal advertisement distributes propaganda
How much did The Center for the Study of Popular Culture pay The Daily Cardinal to distribute the 24-page 'advertisement' entitled 'Think Twice... Before You Bring The War Home,' by David Horowitz (Oct. 23)? The pamphlet stereotypes anti-war advocates by labeling them as communists, anti-American, sick and delusional. The 'advertisement' also claims that being prejudiced against Muslims will prevent terrorist attacks (page 20, first complete paragraph). I am not familiar with the policies that govern the Cardinal's distribution of pamphlet literature promoting cultural and prejudicial stereotypes. I understand that Horowitz's 'advertisement' does not (necessarily?) reflect the views of the Cardinal. However, it is clear the Cardinal will distribute propaganda for the right price. Distributing literature under the guise of advertising could enable the Cardinal to earn money from other prejudiced/hate groups such as the KKK, al Qaeda or the Religious Right. Does the Cardinal's version of free speech have an advertising price tag attached to it? Well, I probably can't afford to publish this as a 'Cardinal advertisement,' so I guess I will have to write it to the editor.
WTO has no place in war against terrorism
World Trade Organization Director-General Michael Moore suggests that his organization has some role to play in dealing with international terrorism. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick claimed directly that 'free trade' fights terrorism, while President Bush stated in Shanghai that it leads to 'freedom over fear' of terrorism.
Momentarily setting aside significant differences in opinion over 'free trade' and its relation to democracy, it is worth noting the disparity between words and policy with the WTO and the business of war.
Article 21 of the core WTO treaty specifically exempts military and related security activities (domestic police, prisons, espionage) from its international regulatory structure. A result is that billions of public subsidies poured into defense industries are immune to the dispute resolution process and are thus protected. Through its outsourcing of military activities to private mercenary corporations under this scheme, the U.S. government actively facilitates regional arms races and escalation of state-sponsored terrorism. The actions of DynCorp in Colombia relating to drug trafficking and that nation's civil war is an unfortunate example of this.
The only role the WTO plays in relation to international terror is its facilitation of the arms trade. Additionally, deeper inspection of 'free trade' reveals that economic growth rates, life expectancy increases, rates of infant mortality decline and rates of school enrollment have all declined due to 20 years of aggressive liberalization.
An old anti-war slogan goes, 'no peace without justice.' Unfortunately, as nice as Mr. Moore's words sound, the policies succored by the WTO achieve neither.
