Comments on: Colombia as a Model for Latin America http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/08/colombia-as-a-model-for-latin-america/ a radical newsletter in the struggle for peace and social justice Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:26:36 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Leonard Morin http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/08/colombia-as-a-model-for-latin-america/#comment-26328 Leonard Morin Wed, 13 Aug 2008 09:20:20 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=2463#comment-26328 Thanks everyone for your comments! With regard to Brian Rudert’s comment: I agree with you that many people have suffered from banks failing in Latin America, of which Colombia is no exception. This very process is what concerns me. As Phil Josselyn, who works in our coalition, once put it to me very aptly, when banks fail, the losses of the rich and the corporate classes are “socialized” so that the public pays for the failed risks of the rich. When national resources, such as gold, wood, and petroleum are found, the corporate classes “privatize” them, once again at the expense of the public, in this case especially at the expense of the peasants who occupied the land and are now being massacred or displaced for the sake of corporate profit. I’m not willing to assume that now the Colombian oligarchy is less involved in banking and profits less from it. I do believe, however, that the participation of multinationals is now pre-eminent. One can observe the same type of consolidation in the flower industry: http://alainet.org/active/23295&lang=es (Spanish) http://www.javeriana.edu.co/andino/economia.htm under “Las Flores y el TLC” (Spanish) The first link concerns several flower companies going out of business; the second the case of Dole closing operations. It’s obvious that wealth has become more concentrated in fewer hands here too. If the FTA passes, it will be much easier for large foreign corporations to enter the Colombian market, buy up businesses, and then move on again if it’s more profitable. That will obviously prejudice workers and consumers. Thanks everyone for your comments! With regard to Brian Rudert’s comment: I agree with you that many people have suffered from banks failing in Latin America, of which Colombia is no exception. This very process is what concerns me. As Phil Josselyn, who works in our coalition, once put it to me very aptly, when banks fail, the losses of the rich and the corporate classes are “socialized” so that the public pays for the failed risks of the rich. When national resources, such as gold, wood, and petroleum are found, the corporate classes “privatize” them, once again at the expense of the public, in this case especially at the expense of the peasants who occupied the land and are now being massacred or displaced for the sake of corporate profit. I’m not willing to assume that now the Colombian oligarchy is less involved in banking and profits less from it. I do believe, however, that the participation of multinationals is now pre-eminent.

One can observe the same type of consolidation in the flower industry:

http://alainet.org/active/23295&lang=es
(Spanish)
http://www.javeriana.edu.co/andino/economia.htm
under “Las Flores y el TLC”
(Spanish)

The first link concerns several flower companies going out of business; the second the case of Dole closing operations. It’s obvious that wealth has become more concentrated in fewer hands here too. If the FTA passes, it will be much easier for large foreign corporations to enter the Colombian market, buy up businesses, and then move on again if it’s more profitable. That will obviously prejudice workers and consumers.

]]> By: Brian Rudert http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/08/colombia-as-a-model-for-latin-america/#comment-25950 Brian Rudert Wed, 06 Aug 2008 15:00:42 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=2463#comment-25950 I am concerned about Morin's statement that "There are now only 17 banks in Colombia while in 1990 there were over double that many." He makes this statement to argue that there is increasing economic power concentration. Previously banks in Latin America (Colombia no exception) were owned by oligarchs to capture savings that would be used to finance family businesses. When these family businesses would suffer, banks would routinely fail to the detriment of thousands of small account holders. I think Colombia is much better off with a smaller number of banks under the strict supervision of the Superintendency of Banks as long as these banks make efforts to extend financial services to the less fortunate. The poor need safe places to deposit their savings and access to credit at the same rates that is extended to the rich. I believe this is happening in Colombia and Morin is wrong to use to the banking situation to justify his opposition to the FTA. I am concerned about Morin’s statement that “There are now only 17 banks in Colombia while in 1990 there were over double that many.” He makes this statement to argue that there is increasing economic power concentration. Previously banks in Latin America (Colombia no exception) were owned by oligarchs to capture savings that would be used to finance family businesses. When these family businesses would suffer, banks would routinely fail to the detriment of thousands of small account holders. I think Colombia is much better off with a smaller number of banks under the strict supervision of the Superintendency of Banks as long as these banks make efforts to extend financial services to the less fortunate. The poor need safe places to deposit their savings and access to credit at the same rates that is extended to the rich. I believe this is happening in Colombia and Morin is wrong to use to the banking situation to justify his opposition to the FTA.

]]> By: Robert Thatch http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/08/colombia-as-a-model-for-latin-america/#comment-25926 Robert Thatch Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:16:40 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=2463#comment-25926 The Leonard Morin article about Colombia is an excellent rundown of factors related to the proposed FTA for Colombia. He asks: "Will the land belong to the poor who have traditionally populated and cultivated it or to the multinational corporations that want to exploit it for oil, gas, minerals, and agro-industry?" That is the question in Colombia. The Leonard Morin article about Colombia is an excellent rundown of factors related to the proposed FTA for Colombia. He asks: “Will the land belong to the poor who have traditionally populated and cultivated it or to the multinational corporations that want to exploit it for oil, gas, minerals, and agro-industry?” That is the question in Colombia.

]]> By: Tennessee-Socialist http://dissidentvoice.org/2008/08/colombia-as-a-model-for-latin-america/#comment-25919 Tennessee-Socialist Tue, 05 Aug 2008 03:52:16 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/?p=2463#comment-25919 So many people have no interest about what happened on 9/11. They make no connection between the ongoing election fraud; the emerging police state, the destruction of the economy, the unnecessary wars and massive loss of life, the corruption of the corporations and governments that are bleeding them white. So many people have no interest about what happened on 9/11. They make no connection between the ongoing election fraud; the emerging police state, the destruction of the economy, the unnecessary wars and massive loss of life, the corruption of the corporations and governments that are bleeding them white.

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