THE PICTURES of hunger and despair in the are socialists — because this society is so disgusting, so inhumane and so immoral.
ages of a woman grovelling in the dust for individual grains of wheat with Europe.
But they haven't explained these food mountains can exist willic millions starve around 25 million a year dying of starvation or malnutrition on lowest estimates.
Nor do they explain that when Thatcher wrings makes BeT l HaIOS pretence of rushing aid to Ethiopia it is the dirtiest hypocrisy. Not only does the blame for the famine at the door OT the US British governulICILS. but thev are now using it as an opportunity destabilise the Ethiopian regime.
The rapidly worsening food situation across much of the 'Third World' the door government, with the EEC in a supporting role.
Since the Second War the United has beer able lo establish a world market in which totally 1O0G dominates. In 1979 it provided 55 per cent of total world grain exports.
Over the last 40 years this domination the world market has been used to manipulate 1000 prices — undermining self-sufficiency TOO0 many countries Iran Nigeria, through Japan.
Cheap backed by US subsidies, makes developing home food production more sive than importing, or else forces superspecialisation in agricultura production creating "banana' dictatorships, pineapple ones, lIKe parts LIiC Philippines.
While subsidising its own exports, the US refuses to provide aid to build up the agriculture of LIC I COUELNCS dependent upon it. The news reports have cleverly counterposed imthe food mountains in The explosion in food prices and food exafter 1973, meant DUL LO that many marginal states were simply unable to compete WilD agribusiness. Simultaneously there was a collapse of the agricultural stale nke banglaaesn, OI Il. Central Africa. Regions Kissinger has WolC O described as 'expendable'!
The US uses its dominance in the world food market as a major weapon. cuts oli ana allocales Iooa ala according to who it agrees WILd. slogan tor policy can be summed up support the live, oppose the US and SLaVe A typical example was TOIUI the Camo David accords when Egypt. was 'rewarded' for recognising Israel by large scale US 1000 20. the Casc of Ethiopia, hostility to the Mengistu regime has meant a virtual complete cut off of US aid The famine Welca Western governments now bemoan was created by them. Eritrea The Mengistu regiile itself has made the situation still worse by pumping enormous sums of money into arms to wage its reactionary war against the people oi Eritrea rather than prioritising tood proOUCLOI But withdrawal of the West's aid has nothing to do with defending Eritrean people, everything to do with change the Mengistu regime's internaalignment with LUlal Moscow.
No imperialist country has ever given aid without strings. This is why there has been no direct request Ine westeni guvenlments for aid, though Mengistu has appealed to the voluntary agencies aid. The Ethiopian government has not been willing to accept the compromises that would demanded in return.
Airlift The machinations of the relation to Ethiopia became clearer wnen its only offer of aid was made dependent on , Ethiopia accepung an KAr airlt ana RAF officers to oversee its distribution.
The offer • was initially rejected, and the Financial Ethiopian spokesperDIDICYA IITRIAPSNEHOS tion: 'It serves the interests of politics here, the publicity aspect. We don't exploied by potici ans be want this situation to In the absence of any alternațive offers Ethiopians have been forced to accept the RAF airlift, though at cost of f2000 an hour, it is particularly expensive and ineffective method of giving aid. Thatcher Thatcher's real - aid will go. LNScear to Ethiopia only when the Ethiopian government ready accede the political demands of Britain and the US. As soon that happens ail the obstacles to aid will disappear. weanwae lse no perialists have a gun at the Ethiopians' heads. Tha gun is called starvation.
Socialists should make it clear it is Reagan and Thatcher who have created the famine in Ethiopia. They should demand the unconditional sending any aid demanded by the Ethiopian government, any form that it decides.
Aid without strings, not crocodie leds.Is wildl should be demanded from inalenet s govermicul. small vote that will go to the Socigiist candidate Me Mason. This that, noperully, and probably, the turn out to vote will be history.
If anyone ever wants to know not reducible to the right to vote once every four or five years just study that in the United States. The whole thing stinks to high heaven.
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SociAlist ACTION Ethiopian famine have shocked tens of millions of people. They remind us only too forcefully why we