Juhasz - The Bush Agenda (2006) - Synopsis

UFPPC (www.ufppc.org) Digging Deeper XXXVII: November 19, 2007, 7:00 p.m. Antonia Juhasz, The Bush Agenda: Invading the World, One Economy at a Time (New York: HarperCollins, 2006; paperback 2007). Ch. 1: The Bush Agenda. Bush’s Sept. 14, 2005, address to the U.N. General Assembly proclaimed: “Our agenda for freer trade is part of our agenda for a freer world” (3; 1-3). This refers to “specific economic policies designed especially to support key U.S. multinational corporations that are used as veritable weapons of war”; the Iraq war is its “fullest and most relentless application” (4). “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 fewer regulations, with less commitment to any specific location”; corporate globalization is a synonym used by critics (4). Roots in institutions founded after WWII: IMF, World Bank (5-6). Supported by corporate allies, esp. in the energy sector (6-7). Iraq as the agenda’s “most glaring example” (7; 7-8). The Bush administration is committed to advancing the agenda further (8-9). Suicide of Lee Kyung Hae, Korean farmer, during the Cancun summit in Sept. 2003 (9-14). Juhasz’s background as legislative asst. to John Conyers (D-MI 14th), before which she worked in the field developing an alternative poverty measure known as the Self-Sufficiency Standard (14-15). Research into the Multilateral Agreement on Investment led her to decide to become convinced that corporations have subverted democratic institutions and to devote herself to the antiglobalization movement (15-17). The Bush administration publicly announced it would use the War on Terror to advance its trade agenda (17-19). Ch. 2: Ambitions of Empire. Bush denies having an imperialist agenda (2122). But many in the administration have advocated a Pax Americana, a

modern version of the Pax Romana (2328). The Defense Planning Guidance document written by Dick Cheney, Paul Wolfowitz, Zalmay Khalilzad, Scooter Libby, Eric Edelman, and Colin Powell (28-36). The Project for a New American Century (PNAC) (36-39). George W. Bush (39-41). The 2002 National Security Strategy (41-49). Ch. 3: A Model for Failure: Corporate Globalization. Foundation of the IMF, the World Bank, and the WTO, in the aftermath of WWII (51-62). G7 forms after OPEC challenges the status quo (62-64). Oil becomes a weapon of war in the 1970s (64-65). Reagan pursues corporate interests (65-69). Effects in Zambia (70-775), Russia (7580), Argentina (80-83). Wal-Mart succeeded by “mastering the use of international trade agreements” (83; 8391). Resistance: South Africa (91-96) and elsewhere (96-98). Ch. 4: The Corporations: Bechtel, Chevron, Halliburton, and Lockheed Martin. Energy sector as key (99-104). Review of history of oil industry (104-08). Chevron (108-18). Halliburton (119-27). Bechtel (128-37). Lockheed Martin (13745). Interlocking (145-46). Ch. 5: “A Mutual Seduction”: Turning toward Iraq. Early history of Iraq, created to facilitate Western seizure of oil (147-50). History of Iraq and oil crises (150-56). Iran-Iraq war (156-59). U.S.-Iraq Business Forum, 1989, founded by Marshall Wiley (159-61). Involvement of Kissinger Associates (161-64). Saddam’s relations with U.S. & corporations (Bechtel’s work was later cited as evidence of WMD program) (16469). First Gulf War (169-74). Sanctions (174-75). PNAC focuses on Iraq during

Clinton years (176-79). Cheney’s Energy Task Force (179-80). Members of the Defense Policy Board and the Committee for the Liberation of Iraq pushed for, then profited from war (180-84). Ch. 6: The Economic Invasion of Iraq [longest chapter]. L. Paul “Jerry” Bremer III and the Coalition Provisional Authority (184-93). The blueprint written by Bearing Point, Inc. was the basis of Bremer’s 100 “Orders,” (193-211). Order No. 39 on foreign investment (211-22). Impact, favoring multinationals (222-40). The façade of Iraqi institutions and elections (241-46). Iraq’s constitution (246-51). The oil law (251-59). All in all, Bush has succeeded (259). Ch. 7: Exporting “Free Trade” in Place of “Freedom” to the Middle East: The U.S.-Middle East Free Trade Area. In a commencement address at the Univ. of South Carolina, Bush laid out plans for a “U.S.-Middle East Free Trade Area” (261-264). Background (264-69). Robert Zoellick succeeds in initiating the “Doha round” (269-77). The U.S.-Middle East Free Trade Area (277-88). U.S.-Oman FTA (288-90). Ch. 8: The Failure of the Bush Agenda: A World at Greater Risk. Lies justified Iraq war, which has made Americans less safe and Iraqis less welloff (291-96). U.S. policies, not freedoms are what our “enemies” oppose (296-99). Blowback: Spain, Turkey, U.S. (299-307).

Ch. 9: A Better Agenda Is Possible. Replacing corporate globalization is easier than people think (309-12). End Iraq occupation & fund reconstruction (312-23). Transition from oil economy (323-29). Corporate charter reform (32932). Examples of victories (332-36). Cf. Alternatives to Economic Globalization: A Better World Is Possible, 2nd ed., which Juhasz participated in writing (336-37). Cancel odious debt (337-40). Mobilization and hope (340-43). Afterword: What a Difference a Year Makes. Nov. 2006 elections have changed the dynamic (345-46). Failure of policies in Iraq is being recognized (346-51). Iraq oil law still a focus of the Bush administration (351-56). Iran may be next (356-57). The free trade agenda is “disappearing” (357-59). Protesters are winning (359-60). Notes. 19 pp. / Index. 24 pp. [On the Author. Graduate of Brown U. with master in public policy from Georgetown U (14). Has been legislative assistant for Conyers of MI and Cummings of MD; worked with Int’l Forum on Globalization until 1995, when she joined the Institute for Policy Studies. Her sister, Alexandra Juhasz, teaches media studies at Pitzer College and recently completed a documentary film about Antonia called “SCALE: Ending the BUSH AGENDA in the Media Age.”]