Ihe Lt | UL AUILUIEL LAN | | . ll WORLD Liberation, economic growth answer to hunger and poverty The Second World Population Conference, held this month in Mexico City, ended as so many other global forums in recent years, amid violent controversy and failure to grapple with the deeply entrenched problems that are leading our planet into disaster. Many commentators have utterly missed the point in deploring the “‘ideological bickering’’ at the conference, and bemoaning the refusal of many delegations to define the problem of overpopulation i in the strict sense of ‘‘too many people”. - In fact, the ballooning population of many third-world urban centres is only the most superficial aspect of the far more intractable, systemic crisis of underdevelop- ment. Delegates who closely examined the host-town, Mexico City, would have found a case in point. The 17-million inhabitants of Mexico City are daily aug- mented by 1,000 dispossessed rural newcomers who have found it impossible to survive in a countryside dominated by aggregating, mechanized capitalist farm- ing enterprises who gear their production to the inter- national market. Marginal peasants, squeezed out of the rural econ- omy, join the migration to the city, where a 40 per cent unemployment rate guarantees low wages and ferocious competition for the few jobs available in industry and services. In Mexico City’s teeming barrios crime, filth, disease, malnourishment, and corruption reign. The real problem of most third world countries is not so much overpopulation, as a lack of comprehensive social development, orderly economic growth, and a fair - deal in the global market. Indeed, most third world states have introduced effective family planning programs in recent years, and are already addressing the need to limit population growth. What they now face is the squeeze of recession, huge foreign debts with spiralling interest rates, and the ongoing refusal of the developed capitalist countries to introduce trading and investment policies that would give them a chance to climb out of the vicious cycle of underdevelopment. Much of the Controversy at the conference — as well as a bit of comic relief — was provided by the stridently _ ‘right-wing U.S,-~delegation- headed by Radio Free © Europe Director James Buckley. Buckley held forth at some length on the therapeutic . merits of ‘‘free enterprise’ as the only solution to third world population pressures. Said he: “‘An economic policy that encourages indi- viduals and firms to produce goods and services in a market setting tends to yield significant economic growth ... this testifies to'the importance of fostering News Analysis conditions where the human enterpreneurial and commercial spirit can flourish freely without unreason- able government restraint”’. What this high-flown rhetoric ignores is that the ad- vanced capitalist countries — the U.S. in particular — have climbed to the top of the economic heap, and pulled the ladder up after them. Third world countries today are locked into positions of permanent subservience in the global economic order, and they are the recipients of one-sided, selective investment and development aid which merely reinforces their dependence upon the capitalist world market. Latin America, for example, was forcibly integrated into the world capitalist economy in the 19th century — an economic regime which has been. backed'up ever . since by gunboats and armies, by the CIA and the U.S. Marines. The ‘‘magic of the marketplace’’ has ruled Latin America for nearly two centuries, and has brought it only repressive government, crushing poverty, eco- nomic paralysis, underdevelopment and... over- population! Gerard Piel, publisher of Scientific American, hae ac- curately remarked that ‘‘for the Reagan administration _ to preach a free-market economy to the developing countries is like Marie Antonoinette telling the people to eat cake’’. One bizarre sidelight to the conference — which grab- bed much of the press attention — was the U.S. delega- tion’s firm opposition to abortion, a position SuppUsce only by Chile, the Vatican and Costa Rica. Commented Soviet chief delegate Alexei Nevzorov: “There is a unanimous opinion at the conference, with the exception of Mr. Buckley and the Holy See, for legal ’ abortion to be performed in a specialized medical institu- tion’’. Soviet delegates, for their part, did not promote the marvels of any particular social system at the confer- ence: But they did argue very strongly that disarmament . For Reagan to preach a free: market economy to the developing countries is like Marie Antoinette telling t people to eat cake. is a critical precondition for any lasting and thorough going solution to third world problems. ‘“‘The threat to peace has grown,”’ said Nevzorov. “This is the main issue fat will determine the solution 0 other problems. ‘Hundreds of billions of dollars are spent each year on the arms race, and imperialism has involved the poor countries in this process’. The Soviets proposed thé transfer of military budgets to solving social problems, particularly in the third world. The Soviet position has compelling logic. The problem of overpopulation is intertwined with a host of ecO nomic, social and political factors but if one key element can be singled out it is the lack of money to deal wi these problems in third world countries. It is the arms race which gobbles up all = our future prospects aa a astounding rate. In the end, the conference appears to have founda upon the- ideological differences that divide our world This only underscores the urgent need to resolve thé Cold War, and end the arms race, so that we can begin © address the full spectrum of pressing human problems: International Focus Tom Morris" 2 When pastoral turns political Pope John Paul II’s visit to Toronto, Sept. 14, is described _ ina leaflet by that city’s Arch- diocese as ‘“‘pastoral’’. In fair- ness, the visit was arranged be- fore the current election was called. But to think Canada’s Catholic hierarchy would miss the chance to get in a few poli- tical licks during a national vote is to dream in technicolor. The Archdiocese leaflet calls _ on Catholics to “‘join the pro- life movement’’. John Paul is anti-choice; Toronto’s Cardi- nal Carter is anti-choice. “*Amen,”’ murmurs Brian Mul- ~ roney. When in Mexico John Paul _ praised the virtues of being poor to the poor. He asked them to be happy with their lot — in life. “‘Amen’’, intoned weal- thy Mexicans. | When in Nicaragua he pub- licly scolded that country’s Minister of Education, Fr. Er- nesto Cardinal, for being polit- WAIDST THE SUFFERING Tuere 15 STILL ana ® SIMPLE. JOYS. OF . ® THE POOR. Og | Fe Sc ical. ‘“‘Amen’’, repeated the contra killers and Nicaragua’s pro-U.S.. Bishop. John Paul severely chastized priests in Latin America for joining with the millions against centuries-old tyranny and he warned campesinos to ‘tavoid the temptations of vio- lence and selfish class strug- gle.”’ ‘“‘Amen’’, came the chorus of big landowners and pious multi-national thieves. In Poland John Paul leads his. political legions in both frontal and flanking attacks against 6 © PACIFIC TRIBUNE, AUGUST 29, 1984 that socialist state. ‘Amen’, says the White House and the CIA. It’s bad enough the multi- . million dollar bill for the Pope’s visit will be shared equally be- tween Catholic and non- - Catholic Canadians. But let’s not doubly insult the . multi- ‘tudes by claiming it to be sim- ply “‘pastoral’’. There’s the ‘other America’ | Despite all the upbeat talk about an easy Reagan victory on Nov. 6, the so-called unity and ‘‘spirit of America’’ pur- pose at Dallas, there are signs that Reagan strategists have real concerns. ' Said one: ‘‘The Reagan administration has allowed it- . self to be cast as a party of Lear jets and mink coats.’’ Another, - describing how Reagan aides recently pulled the plug on TV lights when Reagan was asked a touchy question and how Nancy fed him an answer to a foreign policy question he couldn’t handle, said: ‘‘(They) won't do that again. It. makes people think the old fellow ain’t up to it.’ Other. signs: Confronted with a 2,000-person tent city.in Dallas during the convention, . the city erected a controversial $65,000 six-foot high steel fence around the convention centre. The great unwashed, reason GOP organizers, are bad for the party’s TV image.: Reagan himself, ‘‘arriving in triumph’’ as the press putsit, in Dallas, needed 3,000 police and security forces to guaran- _ tee the overflowing of popular love didn’t mess up his suit. _ TV viewers last week were also given a view of Texas right - out of Hollywood; a place where everyone is well-off and eats steak, where everything is bigger, louder and better. A perfect choice for the GOP. But there’s another face: 2.6 million Texans live below the poverty level. It’s the “other ‘Anerice® Republican strategists fear. It’s the millions deeply hurt by Reaganism and those worried that the ‘‘old fellow”’ will blow up this planet that concern Reagan’s image-makers. The 4.3 million more driven into. poverty by Reaganomics while — the rich pocketted a $750-bil- lion tax cut might see Reagan and his party for what they re-" ally are. Added up they far out- number supporters of the Lear jet and mink coat party. Re- publican hype about an easy win or even a Reagan landslide can *t ignore this fact. They can dress him up all they want, but they can’t change his message. ‘Keeping their mouths shut Responding to reporters’ questions about reactions. to his ‘‘bombing Russia’ re- marks, Reagan angrily said: ‘Isn’t it funny ... if the press had kept their mouths shut, no one would have known I said ite Maybe if Reagan had actu- | ally bombed Russia and the press had kept quiet, no one — would have known he done it.