From: GERALD LEVY (gerald_a_levy@msn.com)
Date: Mon Feb 18 2008 - 09:59:56 EST
> There is also a certain hypocrisy in the arguments against> proliferation. If American and Britain can have nuclear weapons> why should Korea and Persia be denied them? Hi Paul C: Socialists should be in favor of nuclear disarmament rather than being merely against nuclear proliferation. If one favors disarmament then the "hypocrisy" issue doesn't arise. > I would understand it if you accused the north of being hypocritical> for cutting down their own forests hundreds or thousands of years ago> and then criticising the south when it does the same. A couple of points: 1. the role of rain forests in the eco-system was not known hundreds or thousands of years ago. Those who destroyed the rain forests after that knowledge was known bear a heavier moral responsibility than those who were not fully aware of the consequences. 2. The "South" should not be criticized for cutting down the rain forests. Instead one has to look at _why_ there is deforestation such as: a. the cattle and logging industries which - like the land itself - are often owned and controlled by a small proportion of wealthy families. b. the rising demand for rain forest products (e.g. wood) and the increasing demand for products produced on land that was formerly rain forest in the advanced capitalist nations (the "North"). c. attempts by multinational corporations to secure circulating capital inputs at lower prices; d. mass poverty in rural areas and the existence of large numbers of landless people in areas adjoining the rain forests. This, like a+b+c, is related to "globalization". It makes as much sense to me to focus only on "the South" when examining deforestation as it would be to look just at "the South" (of the US) when examining the perpetuation of slavery. One has to look at world trade and classes: the slavocracy in the South benefited from slavery but so did many other parties in the "triangular trade" process and the government of the US as well as foreign governments had a vital role in maintaining the institution of slavery. The problem with a "North vs. South" analysis is that it often ignores some of the complexities and inter-relationships associated with global capitalism. In solidarity, Jerry _______________________________________________ ope mailing list ope@lists.csuchico.edu https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/ope
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