The unseen aspect of this operation is that the money itprocesses is money which, otherwise, would have been availablefor investment in the private sector or as loans to consumers. Itsiphons off much-needed development capital for private industry,prevents new jobs from being created, causes interest rates to rise,and retards the economy at large.
THE HIDDEN AGENDA: WORLD SOCIALISM
Although most of the policy statements of the World Bank dealwith economic issues, a close monitoring of its activities reveal aPreoccupation with social and political issues. This should not besurprising considering that the Bank was perceived by its foundersas an instrument for social and political change. The change whichit was designed to bring about was the building of world socialism,and that is exactly what it is accomplishing today.
96 THE CREATURE FROM JEKYLL ISLAND
This hidden agenda becomes crystal clear in the nature of what the Bank calls Sectoral Loans and Structural-Adjustment Loans. In the first category, only part of the money is to be used for the costs of specific projects while the rest goes to support policy changes in the economic sector. In the second group,
As the Fabians had planned it, the word socialism is not to be used. Instead, the loans are issued for government hydro-electric projects, government oil refineries, government lumber mills, government mining companies, and government steel plants. It is delivered from the hands of politicians and bureaucrats into the hands of other politicians and bureaucrats. When the money comes from government, goes to government, and is administered by government, the result will be the expansion of government.
Here is an example. One of the policy changes often required by the World Bank as a condition of granting a loan is that the recipient country must hold down its wages. The assumption is that the government has the power—and rightfully
Paul Roberts holds the William E. Simon Chair of Political Economy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. Writing in
The entire "development process" has been guided by the beliefthat reliance on private enterprise and equity investment isincompatible with economic and social progress. In place of such proven avenues of success, development planning substituted loans and foreign aid so that governments of the LDCs [Less Developed Countries] could control economic activity in keeping with plans drawn up by experts.
Consequently, economic life in the LDCs was politicized from thestart. By endowing governments with extensive control over theireconomies, the U.S. set up conditions exactly opposite to thoserequired for economic growth.1
1. "How 'Experts' Caused the Third World Debt Crisis," by Paul Craig Roberts,
NEARER TO THE HEART'S DESIRE
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Ken Ewert explains further that the conditions imposed by the Fund are seldom free-market oriented. He says: