-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 $500 b illio n .
P ro d u c tio n fro m w ar not o n ly
brings high p ro fits fo r its benefac
to rs , but invo lves m illio n s o f the
w o rld ’ s best technicians and skilled
workers in w ork that adds nothing
Io the wellbeing o f the public.
The T h ird W o rld E conom ists
demanded a halt to the arms race
and that those b illio n s be used fo r
peace and development.
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Make the most of your youth.
»1$, 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 ."