Latest update April 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jul 07, 2013 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom
There is a new Cold War. It is not an ideological world; instead it is taking place within the framework of the quest for international markets and international resources.
This new war pits two formidable forces – not necessarily adversaries – the United States and a group of developing countries that are known as BRICS, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The West is deeply concerned that globalization, while increasing the reach of its companies into economies, has also allowed for competition between itself and other emerging economies.
So strong have become these emerging economies that the West, and the United States in particular, is becoming frightened by the growth of economies in China, India and Brazil, but more so by the fact that these countries are now investing in other parts of the world. These investments present a threat to western imperialism since they are displacing western investments and trade.
One of the observations, for example, which has been made about Barack Obama’s recent foray to Africa, was that this was a case of trying to close the door after the horse has bolted. It was in other words a belated attempt by the Americans to promote its interests in energy in Africa. The Chinese and the Brazilians have long gotten their feet through the door and it is this fear, that western companies are going to be left behind, that is driving the American diplomacy in Africa and in other parts of the world.
The imperialists are running scared not just in Africa, but also about South America, where China is making deep inroads and Brazil’s economic strength and its possibility for regional and global reach is creating tremors of concern in Washington. This is why there is an ongoing campaign to reduce the influence of China in this region and there is an attempt to present Brazil in a bad image.
Brazil does have some problems, but it has made tremendous strides economically over the years. Its image as an emerging global power is going to be further enhanced by the hosting of FIFA World Cup next year and the Olympics in 2016.
With these events, Brazil’s economic success will enjoy unprecedented global coverage and with that will come greater interest by foreign investors. China also has already made insignificant inroads into South America, and is now the region’s trading partner.
For this reason, there has been a campaign launched by imperialism to paint the new Brazilian Miracle as deeply flawed. The western media has been conscripted into this process. If you examine closely the media coverage of Brazil as it prepares for the hosting of these two major international events, it will be noticeable that the western media is attempting to question Brazil’s readiness to host these events. The emphasis is about crime; about whether the various stadiums will be ready, a focus on supposed concerns about the safety of some of the venues that will be hosting the event. This is all part of a western conspiracy against Brazil to reduce the possible events that country will enjoy as a consequence of hosting the World Cup and Olympics.
The same thing is happening to China. An image of that country is being projected as being unconcerned about food safety, environmental protection, and of being a producer of substandard goods. What is hardly admitted is that most of the products that are sold in western economies originate from China, and that many western companies are trading with China in goods which meet the strict standards demanded in western markets.
The Chinese represent the greatest economic threat to global imperialism. This threat is economic, not military. However, as part of its propaganda arsenal, the West is presenting the rise of China as a threat to the free world and is attempting to discourage nations from deepening ties with China. This is being done subtly, and like the Cold War, through satellites within countries.
You will, for example, find, within Guyana’s media and also within the local political community, mouthpieces of Western imperialism. These individuals do not have to be invited onto the Chinese bandwagon. They jump willingly on board because they are under the influence of Western imperialism; they have friends and contacts in Western embassies and they do their bidding.
This is all part of a western conspiracy against emerging economies and just as it exists in other parts of the world, it exists in Guyana and the Guyanese people should be alert to this reality.
Imperialism was never going to withdraw and allow countries to develop as they please in the post-Cold War era. They have their economic interests to safeguard and will do so even if it means meddling in a country’s internal affairs.
Where is the BETTER MANAGEMENT/RENEGOTIATION OF THE OIL CONTRACTS you promised Jagdeo?
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