The Bush Agenda: Invading the World, One Economy at a Time

At the center of the Bush Agenda is the argument that free trade will bring freedom, peace, and prosperity to the world. Juhasz, however, believes that "free trade" is shorthand for a number of economic policies that expand the rights of multinational corporations and investors to operate in more locations under less regulations. The result is increased inequality both within and between nations. IMF/World Bank loans have been used to force privatization of utilities, trade liberalization, "user fees" (eg. for health care, education, water, etc.), restricting local government ability to control prices and interest rates, and elimination of agricultural subsidies. The outcome, however, has been less than wonderful. In 1970, when IMF and World Bank loans began in Zambia, life expectancy was 49.7 years - in '01 it was 33.4 (lowest in the world). In Russia's case, IMF rules led to a 50% reduction in average income within four years, and output decline of over 40% from '92-'98, and poverty rates soared from 2% to almost 50%. Argentina privatized, then saw the value of its currency rise -> uncompetitive exports, mass layoffs, and loss of health coverage. <br /> <br />The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the U.S. lost 3 million manufacturing jobs during NAFTA; meanwhile cheap, heavily subsidized U.S. agriculture flooded Mexico. NAFTA also stopped guaranteed land rights to indigenous people. Bottom Line: 1.5 million people were forced off their land and out of work, and the average real wages in Mexican manufacturing is now lower than pre-NAFTA. <br /> <br />General Garner was summarily fired in Iraq after disagreeing with many radical Bush administration proposals, such as privatization of Iraq's 192 state-owned companies - he argued that Iraqis should determine their own economic fate. Bremer, his replacement, then ordered all Baath party members holding any position in the top three layers of management in every government ministry and other government institutions (eg. universities and hospitals) removed - about 120,000. (Five months later he allowed case by case reviews.) He then dissolved the Iraqi army and intelligence services, forcing another 500,000 out of work, and into an environment of 50-70% unemployment. (Also antagonized their families - about 2.4 million total.) Bremer next suspended all tariffs, duties, etc. for goods entering or leaving Iraq - devastating local producers (U.S. subsidized wheat and rice producers benefited.) He then went on to stop subsidies, exempted Coalition forces and contractors from Iraqi laws and taxes, replaced Iraq's progressive tax with a flat tax, rewrote its patent, trademark, and copyright laws to ensure access and protections to foreign products, allowed foreign ownership of Iraqi firms and prohibited local preference laws, and allowed unrestricted repatriation of profits out of Iraq. Then U.S. contractors brought in a large number of Americans at much greater cost than hiring locals, further

Antonia should be contragulated on the occasion of the publication of this profoundly insightful book on a topic so critical to our dignity and international standing. Antonia has enlightened us in a typical Chomskian fashion and she should be encouraged to do more. This book is an inspiration to those of us who protested this war even before it began. No true American patriot can ignore this book and claim to be a patriot. The issues raised and discussed in this book will keep us engaged in activism for years on end. It is an invaluable contribution to our enlightenment. Contratulations!

"The Bush Agenda" by Antonia Juhasz is a very accessible but also rigorously scholarly book. I am fascinated by her clever, subtle wit - you'd think it would be hard to make a subject such as the dastardly story of economic globalization fun, but Juhasz does it. Interspersed with interesting bits of personal memoir (She was there at many historical moments), I have found the book very hard to put down. Her wry style is refreshing and makes for an intriguing, enlightening read.

Ms Juhasz has really done her homework. The book is to be praised for giving us the nitty-gritty of what's going on with the attempt to steal Iraq's national wealth. Names are named, and the actual facts of the anatomy of the Bush Iraq policy are laid out. Notably, the fact that there was a highly detailed plan for post-invasion policy which is currently very much in place and proceeding: business as usual. Anyone who takes the least notice of the contents of this incisive analysis can never again claim at the bottom line that we went into Iraq with any other than pure and simple profit motive (U.S. corporate profit, that is). None can again claim, in the face of the array of facts and dot-connections which Ms Juhasz has so diligently marshalled, that this war has any sort of ideological basis - other than a skewed neo-con vision of slave state capitalism - or that real concern for the "safety of the average American" was ever at its heart. What we are speaking of here is the flow of money - and Ms Juhasz has doggedly followed the money and mapped its flow. Herein, is the perspective from which future historians will adjudicate the moral justifications for this pre-emptive war. Never has the old platitude "The business of America is business" appeared as bald and as grisly in the face of the naked black and white. The must read book of the season.

Antonia Juhasz has articulated one of the most, if not the most, devastating critiques of the Bush Administration and the most recent invasion of Iraq. Where the Left has failed to present a coherent analysis that is easy to understand and grounded in history and anti-war activism, Ms. Juhasz has done just that. Her arguments are easy to comprehend and, most importantly, blistering and passionate. If you are a person that has grown tired of the grinding daily analysis of events in Iraq, buy this book. The focus is on the big picture, something the Bush Administration has quite successfully kept off the agenda. Also, knowing that Ms. Juhasz is young and will be producing these sorts of critiques in the future is very heartening. She has created an analytical framework that will be useful for years to come. Hopefully she will keep churning out wrecking ball analyses like this one.