Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-09-24-Speech-2-233"
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"en.20020924.10.2-233"2
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"Mr President, stock exchanges have crashed, reversing the apparent miracle of the new economy and decimating workers' savings to the advantage of big business. Leaving aside for the moment the fact that it is inhumane, the threat of war with Iraq is pushing oil prices up and boosting inflationary pressures. Economic results, especially in the manufacturing sector, are disappointing to say the least.
Capitalism is in a state of deep crisis; all it can do now is cling to the stability pact and anti-labour policies, chip away at workers' rights and their standard of living and pensions, cut farmers' incomes and choke the life out of small and medium-sized enterprises.
The European Union budget for 2003 is yet another example of this anti-grass roots policy in practice. Instead of redistributing any income, given that it accounts for less than 1.01% of Community GDP, it throws even more money at monopolies and at imperialist plans to suppress and exploit the people. A typical example is the agricultural economy: not only does the Community budget do nothing to reverse the decline in income of poor average farmers, who are being driven from the land in droves, but the system of prices and subsidies guarantees cheap raw materials and higher profits for the tobacco and other industries which process their products. The common agricultural policy and quotas have created a huge, EUR 25 billion trade deficit in the European Union, jobs are being lost and unemployment is rising.
The objectives of big business for 2003 are obvious from the relative reduction in the amounts proposed, at a time when peoples' needs are increasing, unemployment is rising, the environment is being destroyed and so-called globalisation is giving rise to new forms of exploitation and spreading poverty and hunger across the planet. The limited sums available for structural policies, the reduction in agricultural spending and the funds earmarked for the common foreign policy, defence and security typify the aggressive attitude of capital towards the people and the role which the European Union is being called on to play as the sidekick of the USA as it polices the world.
We are opposed to this policy and to the methods applied by big business. We reject the modus operandi of the monopolies, we are fighting with the workers to overturn these plans and we demand a different sort of policy, a policy which will bring about economic prosperity for the workers and secure their rights."@en1
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