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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (June 4, 1981)
-1 P o rtla n d Third World starvation linked to debt The N o rih -S o u th dialogue that has emerged in recent years is an ef fo rt by the underdeveloped nations to gain a larger share o f the w orld’ s wealth controlled by the developed nations. The " N o r t h ” is identified with the former colonizing countries th a t are now n e o -co lo n izin g and imperialist and the "S o u th ” is sym bolic o f the nations o f A frica, Asia, and Latin America. The world is in an economic crisis with the economies o f the developed c a p ita lis t co un trie s in stagnation. Their growth rate was one percent in 1980. continuing a downward scale. In 1980, the in fla tio n rate o f the n a tio n s in the O rg a n iz a tio n fo r E co no m ic C o o rp e ra tio n and D evelopm ent was 13.9 per cent. U nem ploym ent has become a mass phenom enon, w ith over five per cent o f the w orkforce to ta lly unem ployed. In the US over eight m illion persons cannot find work. The repercussions o f these economic ills are magnified in most underdeveloped nations. By c o n tra s t, the tra n s n a tio n a l m on op olies keep increasing th e ir d iv id e n d s and achievin g added fin a n c ia l a ccu m u la tio n s. D u rin g 1970-1978, the to ta l flo w o f the m onopolies’ direct investm ents in underdeveloped countries was $42.2 billion. During the same period they w ithdrew $ 100.2 b illio n in p ro fits . F or every new d o lla r invested, an average p r o fit o f $2.4 was w ith drawn. D u rin g the same p e rio d US in vestments in the T h ird W o rld were $8.7 b illio n , and $39.7 b illio n were re p a tria te d as p ro fits . T h is is an average $4.5 dollar income into the US fo r every d o lla r invested in the underdeveloped nations. A bout 40 per cent o f the to ta l co rp o ra te profits went to the US. T ra n s n a tio n a ls also exert im pressive c o n tro l over trade in com m o d itie s. They m a rke t 50-60 per cent o f sugar and phosphates; 70-80 per cent o f tin ; 85-90 per cent o f cocoa, tea, coffee, tobacco, wheat, cotton, jute, tim ber and copper; 90- 95 per cent o f iron ore and bauxite. M a rk e tin g these p ro d u cts puts m illio n s in to the c o ffe rs o f the m u ltin a tio n s but decapitalizes un derdeveloped countries even more. The intensification o f the concen tr a tio n , c e n tra liz a tio n and in te r n a tio n a liz a tio n o f tra n s n a tio n a l capital in the past tw enty years has strenghtened the fusion o f the great m onopolies w ith the state aparatus o f the developed countries and the general policy o f those countries is generally form ulated on the basis o f the monopolies’ interests. The low prices set by the m o n o p o lis fo r co m m od ities fro m the underdeveloped nations deepens the unequal trade ratios and causes indebtedness, w h ile the prices o f goods sold to them cause in fla tio n . C re dit is given fo r the purpose o f m aking p r o fit and is based on p o litic a l considerations, so denies te ch n ica l developm ent th a t the nations need and want. High ta riffs and quotas d is c rim in a te against Third W orld industrial products. The W o rld Bank and the In te r n a tio n a l M o n e ta ry Fund e xtra ct agreements th a t fo rce u n d e r developed nations to deny even the basic necessities to their own people in order to repay debts or to gain new loans. The fo re ig n debt o f the u n d e r developed n atio ns exceeds $500 b illio n . The pub lic debt o f the un derdeveloped countries grew at an average rate o f 21 per cent during the 1970s. For debt servicing alone, these countries paid $44 m illio n in 1979. In the meantime their people suffer hunger and illness and are in need o f housing, schools and fac tories. The w o rld p o p u la tio n is 4.4 b illio n , 75 percent o f whom live in underdeveloped n a tio n s. The developed nations, w ith 25 per cent o f the people, enjoy 83 per cent o f the w o rld ’ s gross national product, consume 75 per cent o f the energy, own 92 per cent o f the w o rld in d u s try and 95 per cent o f the te chn olo gica l resources, and they use 89 per cent o f the money used on education. Between 400 and 500 m illio n people suffer from hunger in under developed co un trie s. T w e n ty -fiv e per cent o f the w o rld p o p u la tio n lives in p o o r, overcrow eded and dangerous c o n d itio n s . O f the 122 m illio n babies born, 10 per cent die before they are a year o ld and an additional 4 per cent die before age 5. Each year 18 m illion children un der 5 die and 95 percent o f those w ho die live in the T h ird W o rld . W h ile in the developed co u n trie s one out o f 40 die before adolescen ce. This proportion is one in four in A frican countries. By the end o f th is ce n tu ry the world population w ill be 6.5 billion, o f which 80 percent w ill live in the current underdeveloped nations. The Association o f T h ird W o rld E co no m ists made the fo llo w in g recom m endations to address these ineuities: inequities: - the complete sovereignty o f the peoples o f the T h ird W o rld over their natural resources and wealth; - implementation o f a New Inter national Economic Order - th o r o u g h g o in g s t r u c t u r a l changes w ithin T hird W orld nations to secure e ffe c tiv e m anagem ent, p a rticip a tio n in and c o n tro l by the people o f econom ic and social development. The young and restless are the next group o f prisoners considered. In this grouping there are few in atyta»« Por Mwi & WOrnee»' BROADWAY EAST 1405 N t BROADWAY PORTLAND OREGON PHONE: 284-1897 SPECIAL: 646.00 on New Era Curl The most willing. workforce inAmerica Is available in African children face starvation and misery. - agrarian re fo rm th a t includes m odern a g ric u ltu ra l m ethods and ends exploitation o f the peasants - in d u s tria liz a tio n based on n a tio n a l resources and genuine foreign cooperation - education o f all people -developm ent o f new health systems - im provem ent o f o p p o rtu n itie s fo r the people to exercise democracy and gain politcal benefits - secure equal rights for women The T h ird W o rld debt o f over $400 b illion costs m illions every year ju s t to pay in te re s t, w ith o u t reducing the debt. This system also prevents the le n d in g in s titu tio n s fro m reco vering th e ir m oney and causes a c o n tin u a l c risis in the economies o f the developed nations. The T h ird W o rld E conom ists asked that $400 b illio n be provided the underdeveloped n atio ns by 1990, in the form o f donations and long-term , low income soft credits. T his m oney w o u ld be used fo r in vestments in the nation’ s economics according to th e ir own decisions. T his w o u ld strengthen the T h ird W o rld econom ies and in d ire c tly alleviate the permanent crisis o f the developed nations. This year w orld war expenditures w ill am o un t to over $500 b illio n . P ro d u c tio n fro m w ar not o n ly brings high p ro fits fo r its benefac to rs , but invo lves m illio n s o f the w o rld ’ s best technicians and skilled workers in w ork that adds nothing Io the wellbeing o f the public. The T h ird W o rld E conom ists demanded a halt to the arms race and that those b illio n s be used fo r peace and development. n Make the most of your youth. »1$, 1 »ent «or» Inforaetlon on Portland« Minority Vowth (raloyrant Te«B Forte. Maae F Ira Addreit C tr State Phon» Bott tlae to cal, ■•turn to "The mind of each man it the man him telf.” Cicero ZIP MATIOMAt M. I l MCI OF BUS 1 MSS Youth Ir a 1oywont ClearInghout» •?, SM Methlngton. Suite «0, Portland. Oregon 17705 ( M l ) 776-4061 E X O D U ' ’•'favds/liton Ú d ju jt/isru i/ a r u / JFtir i / m r n / Wret/ee 1639 N.E. Alberta PORTLAND. OREGÙN 9 7 2 ,1 28 4 7997 From the Front Door By Tom Boothe By Asm ar A bdul Sei/ullah A ka Joe West # 40404 dividuals able to make independent decisions abo ut the fu tu re . They come in to prison th in k in g th a t i t ’ s a ll fu n and games and g en erally become victims o f their own foolish ness. They h aven’ t liv e d long enough to learn the value o f life and th e ir y o u th u su a lly wastes away behind bars. H ow ever, there are a sm all m in o rity o f these young and restless brothers who quickly realize that it is better c ru is in g dow n the avenue than rou nd and ro u n d the big yard tra c k . They get th e ir act together and are better men fo r the small amount o f time they serve. A t this point stress is placed upon the fact th a t y o u th fu l o ffe n d e rs sh ou ld not be sentenced to long p riso n term s. A long p riso n term can only further damage any chance fo r a juvenile or young adult to be rehabilitated. I f you place a young man in prison - especially an adult prison fo r a long period o f time, it's guaranteed th a t he w ill come o ut worse ra th e r than b e tte r. Y o u th should not be used as an excuse to comm it crimes but it should be con sidered in the sentencing process. Unless there is a loss o f life or a par- ticu la ry heinous crim e com m itted - y o u th fu l offenders should be sen tenced under a special act. The federal government has a youth act and the C alifornia system as a youth authority it uses fo r youthful o ffe n ders. O regon m ust at some p o in t im p le m e n t le g is la tio n th a t w o u ld allow yo u th fu l offenders to be sen tenced under special guidelines. Next we come to the men who have made crime a career. They come from all walks of life; rich and butch coorç Spoctabxmg m Bira * Cell Talk W hen people w ho have never been confined think o f Oregon State P enitentiary, its walls, its bars and the men locked inside, they wonder how they do the tim e — cope w ith loneliness, tolerate the ja ile rs , the lack o f movement, the unchanging ro u tin e , the succession o f sunrises and sundowns entombed in prison darkness. C lea rly the question has no concrete answer. There sim p ly isn ’ t a m anual handed out on how to do time. M any men sentenced to the jo in t never get out. They d on ’ t cope, adjust o r survive the contest w ith the ca le n d a r. They die in degrees. Their cheeks hollow as the mask o f death im prints itself - their eyes d o n ’ t tw in k le or sm ile — they become members o f the lo st, they are the living dead! For the sake o f balance we w on’ t d w e ll on the lo s t. Tnere are men w ho come to p rison and buck the odds and w in . They enter Oregon State Penitentiary w ith o u t fanfare o r jiv e ta lk and proceed w ith the business o f w inning their freedom . S elf p ity or the loss o f what could have been doesn’ t deter them from the dream. Some o f them are what hard cons call o d d b a lls. O ddballs are accidents. They are people who have gone their entire lives w ithout crossing the path o f the law. T heir crimes are usually crimes o f passion o r they drank to o much one night and ran o ver someone. They sh ouldn't be in prison and the odds are they won’ t return. Observer Juna 4, 1991 1 p o o r - Black and w hite . A t some point in their life they measured the odds and decided to play the long shot every time out. These men are so cial m is fits fo r one reason or a n o th e r. They were spawned in neon rivers with cocaine banks and heroin currents. They spend more tim e inside than they do o utsid e . They are the hard core - the mack men fo r sissy boys - the undertaker fo r damn fools. There appears to be little hope o f re fo rm fo r the hard con. But as we gaze upon the bleak circum stances o f the hard con, we m ust u nderstand th a t every riv e r runs its course - sooner or later the years behind bars take th e ir to ll. The p la stic excuses o f fa ilu re and confinem ent at 35 or 40 is a hellish re a liz a tio n to face. Few o f these men are able to face that realization but those that do fin d that life isn’ t over u n til the last bell rings. They fin d th a t life -- the w o rld is n ’ t as hard or cold as they thought it was and they fin d th a t the greatest p ris o n o f a ll is the p ris o n people b uilt around their dreams. Interested in current books ebout Civil Rights? Visit: JOHN REED BOOKSTORE In the Dekum Building 519 S.W. 3rd Avenue Sixth Floor Or call: 227 2902 From the Front Door, I can see a need for more educational, consultation and informational sharing forums to be made available to our citizens in North- East Portland. The House of Exodus as of June 2, 1981 will set aside time each Tuesday evening to share information on services and products located within the North/Northeast community. For those who do not wish to attend the Tuesday evening meetings, you may call Tom Boothe, at Contractors Management - 288-8469, or at American State Bank - 282-2216. I will be available five days a week Monday through Friday. This informational service is absolutely free, there are no charges for this service to citizens within the Portland Metropolitan area. During this summer, I will be giving a series of talks on Community services, starting Tuesday June 2, 1981 through September 30, 1981. These talks will be made a part of our Tuesday evening forum ; this is at the request of citizens who live in the Black community, and I am pleased to have this op portunity to share information with our community citizens. I would like to say at this time, to those who have spoken with me in a thank ful manner regarding my article in support of the Black Educational Center. Ok, talk is fine, but don't forget to mail the Center a check, give up some dollars to the C enter. W hether its our com m unity, our Churches, our businesses and most of all let's support our youth and senior citizens. Self respect is the first sign of a person's or a community's worth or value. Let's practice Self Respect this Sum m er. To quote George Page's sign off statement, "BACK W H A T YOU BELIEVE IN ."
