Gorbachev's letter

[Christophe]

TRANSLATION OF Gorbachev's letter published on Thursday 22 April 2004 by CommonDreams.org

For a Global Glasnost by Mikhail Gorbachev

MOSCOW - Market-led globalization tends to reinforce the neo-liberal theory that gross product indicators are the only unit of measurement for national wealth and progress. The accumulation of capital and individual consumption enjoy a higher status than that of spiritual and social values ​​or that of cultural heritage.

The cumulative results of all individual decisions based on this logic lead in the long term to unforeseeable and dangerous consequences for the environment and society

The sponsors of this ideology - notably the United States - benefit the most from its dissemination on the planet. We are often faced with the argument that globalization, as we know it, is a fait accompli, a process entirely beyond our control.

The most relentless in defending this argument is, not surprisingly, those who want to instill in the public mind the futility and nonsense of any opposition to globalization.

But globalization, like all other economic regimes, is a political choice. That politics stands behind globalization is obvious. In recent years, this has
was clearly illustrated by the pursuit of an imperialist program of force application by neo-conservatives in the United States who seek to take advantage of globalization to impose their will on the rest of the world.

Why has the force factor come to the fore? There are some very simple facts.

Natural resources are exhausted. Their use has already exceeded a critical point. For a smaller (and shrinking) portion of humanity, grabbing the lion's share of resources means depriving the
the rest of the world (a growing majority) equal access to these resources and, in many cases, essential livelihoods. By denying the United States' signature to the Kyoto Protocol and opening hostilities against Iraq based on false allegations, breaking international law and flouting the United Nations system, President George W. Bush has proved his obvious disregard for world opinion and the interests of others.

During the first two years of his presidency, under the guise of freeing up economic growth, Bush made several major changes in environmental programs that significantly undermined the main pillars of US environmental legislation that had been in place for the previous four decades. . Yet he did not think twice before spending billions (not to mention the thousands of human lives) in the war in Iraq

Such a course of action is fraught with danger, not only for the environment, but also because it exacerbates global conflicts between North and South, between the rich and the poor. The
11's September 2001 dramatic events were a readable representation of what may emerge from such a profound disparity.

Is there an alternative? Yes.

The story is not predetermined. There is space for an alternative in every situation. It is this pursuit of an alternative model that led to the development of a viable development program
and integrated for the world in 1992.

The 21 Agenda was supported by the United States and enforced by the leaders of most states and governments in Rio. For the first time in history, the global community has succeeded in designing and agreeing on a strategic plan designed to address the twin issues of poverty and ecological damage.

However, serious obstacles emerged as soon as the implementation started. The governments of the industrialized countries have chosen to retract their commitments, especially those concerning contributions to development aid, in favor of a philosophy of economic liberalism, deregulation and accelerated economic growth. At the same time, opponents of the paradigm of sustainable and integrated development have spared no effort to try to discredit the
idea in the minds of the general public. Nevertheless, the interest is always present. The so-called "anti-globalization" movement (in fact, a movement against the fundamentalism of the market) is in favor of an alternative to the development model. His slogan is "Another World is Possible! "
International social democratic parties, rural "green" and "slow food" movements around the world, as well as thousands of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) representing millions of members also stand behind the principle of sustainable development and integrated. Together, these groups and movements form a powerful force whose pressure is increasingly felt by the ruling elite.

What can we do meaningful? First, it is necessary that we bridge the gap between our moral conscience and the challenges of our time. Consumerism and national egocentrism continue to pose a serious threat to achieving the goals of sustainable and integrated development. A turnaround will not be possible as long as there remains a gap between the objective need to change dominant patterns of behavior and the subjective unwillingness of states, communities,
individuals to make this change. This reversal must begin with changes in the human mind, through a redefinition of the priorities of our value system.
Today, I am convinced that the citizens of the world need a reformulated "glasnost" to reinvigorate, inform and inspire them in order to put resources at risk on our planet and
our knowledge at the service and benefit of all. We must not return to the times of prolific military spending and fear of those whose customs are different from ours. Once people know they have the power to change that, they can no longer tolerate living on a planet where millions of children do not have drinking water to drink and go to bed hungry.

Glasnost could serve as a catch-all concept for designing all the means and methods of the struggle for global consciousness.
Glasnost is a demanding, long-term process of awakening that inevitably leads to calls for fundamental change.

This process is indispensable and urgently needed to resolve the dominance of short-term interests and lack of transparency at all levels on which the fate of the planet is
decided.

I have faith in humanity. It is this faith that has kept me active and optimistic.

Mikhail Gorbachev, the last president of the Soviet Union, received the Nobel Peace Prize for helping to end the cold war. He is now president of the International Green Cross.

Volunteer translation Sylvette Escazaux, 29 Avril 2004.

Website of the newspaper:
http://lagedefaire.org/