And he had to sneak out of an engagement commemorating Bloody Sunday in order to turn in an appearance with the Bill Gateses of the world. Sinn Fein seems to be going the way of the ANC--toward supporting neoliberal policies, and currying favor with the "owners of the world."
Josh Fritz
Chicago, Illinois
Bolivians fight Bechtel
As participants at the recent World Economic Forum debated the merits of imperialism donning a kinder, gentler face, residents of Cochabamba, Bolivia, have been involved in a debate of their own with the Bechtel Corporation of San Francisco. Bechtel is demanding compensation from the government of Bolivia for canceling a water contract with Cochabamba, the country's third largest city.
The Bolivian government, under pressure from the World Bank, privatized the water system of Cochabamba, giving sole rights to a Bechtel subsidiary. Water bills for most residents jumped an average of 200 percent. Working people took to the streets, and at one protest, a 17 year old was shot dead by soldiers and hundreds were injured.
The actions forced the government to suspend the contract. Bechtel has filed a claim with an arbitration board of the World Bank. At an April 2000 press conference the World Bank's president said, "The biggest problem with water is the waste of water through lack of charging."
Shirley Peņa
Albany, California
Coverage on Korea
Thank you for the continued coverage which begins to demystify all the misinformation pertaining to Korea disseminated by the mainstream media. A book by Martin Hart Landberg on Korea, Division, Reunification, and U.S. Foreign Policy, is a useful source and helps expose the real history of U.S. Korea relations.
President Bush denounced the North Korean government because of all the people who experience hunger in that nation. Well, right here in the United States over 30 million people experience hunger and no one argues that a shortage of food exists in this country.
Steve Halpern
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The letters column is an open forum for all viewpoints on subjects of interest to working people. Letters can be submitted at themilitant.com, sent to themilitant@ compuserve.com, or to 410 West St., New York, NY 10014.
Please keep your letters brief. Where necessary they will be abridged. Please indicate if you prefer that your initials be used rather than your full name.
Front page (for this issue) |
Home |
Text-version home