The Structural Roots of Hunger, Food Crises and Riots

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By James Petras

All the major international banks (IMF, World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, Asia Development Bank etc), all the major financial newspapers and mass media have been forced to recognize that there is a major food crisis, that hundreds of millions of people face hunger, malnutrition and outright starvation.

The Structural Roots of Hunger, Food Crises and Riots

‘The world’s poor countries will spend about $38.7 billion dollars importing cereals this year, double the amount they paid two years ago for the same amounts and a 57% increase from 2007.’
Quote from US Senator Byron Dorgan at the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (UN FAO) Financial Times, April 21, 2008 p.19

Introduction

World conferences have been convoked, national emergencies have been declared as millions riot in nearly 50 countries, and threaten to overthrow regimes and mass social tensions rise even in the most dynamic, high-growth countries like China and India. Even in the imperialist countries in North America and Europe, skyrocketing food prices, combined with stagnant wages, home evictions and debt payments threaten incumbent regimes and increase pressures on all governments to take urgent action.

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China: Is High Growth - High Risk Liberalization the Only Alternative?

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by James Petras*

The complete China paper - September 2007

Shanghai, the financial capital of China

Picture: Shanghai, the financial capital of China.

Introduction
China’s drive toward economic superpower status in the world economy has accelerated in recent years. As China’s economy becomes globalized, fundamental changes in its financial markets have opened opportunities for overseas expansion as well as increasing risks of financial crisis. Dynamic growth, large-scale financial speculation and overseas expansion are accompanied by deeper and more pervasive social and economic problems, which can undermine sustained growth and political stability. Read more



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The Emerging Chen-Ivan Alliance

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by Anwaar Hussain

A Possible 3rd World War and The Emerging Chen-Ivan Alliance

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An attack on Iran by the United States of America in the not too distant a future, with or without a staged 9/11, is no more a vague possibility. Having been already addressed, the reasons for the possible war from either the aggressor or the victim’s stand point are not the aim of this paper. What is of interest here is that many analysts are now openly talking of the possibility of a 3rd World War if that does happen. Are they merely being prophets of doom or is there material basis for their omens? Let us analyze this possibility in plain and simple English language.

A world war can only take place when it involves two are more of the great/super powers. So far the only super power the United States of America (read the coalition), absent the other great powers who are watching the show from the side lines, is unilaterally engaged in waging its own wars pursuant to its ‘national interests’ as defined by the current US administration– reason thereby of the American wars so far being technically only wars and not world wars.

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Anwaar’s articles appear simultaneously here at Truth Spring and at Soul Vibes in The Pakistan Tribune.


US loses its status as economic world power
DAVOS, Switzerland, 2008
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