antiexpo2000 on Tue, 7 Sep 1999 17:10:28 +0200 (CEST)


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<nettime> AntiExpo2000 (second text)


World exposition EXPO 2000:
"Solutions find humans"!

The next world exposition is planed in hanover in the year 2000. It is
going to last for five months and will be the first world exposition in
germany. The EXPO is expected 40 million admissions between 1 june and 31
october. About 200 governments, multi-national trusts and international
organisations are supposed to present themselves.

The EXPO 2000 advertises with the assertions to introduce "solutions for
the important global problems of the human race" and to be a "festival of
the peoples of the earth".

There are good reasons to doubt this. Therefor this article would like as
well to render clear some arguments against the EXPO and to represent some
of the interests at the bottom of it, as to illustrate some of its
negative consequences which already came to pass or are still to be
expected.

The EXPO is not designed to introduce solutions for the "global problems
of the human race"!!! World-wide problems as hunger, poverty and
environmental destruction have increased drastically over the last
decades. At a time where there was more and more talk about the
globalisation of the world's economy, the clash between rich and poor has
become continually larger. Many so-called developing countries had to
involve in debt more extensively. In contrast to this, large
transnationally operating firms attain record profits, whereas jobs and
the rights of employees are increasingly cut down all over the world. The
production process in the "developing countries", especially in the
agricultural sphere, is more and more adapted to the needs of a "global
economy". The deprivation of arable acreage on a large scale leads to the
pauperization of the populations and environmental damages of global
extent.

The causes and chargeable persons for this grievance won't be denominated
at the EXPO. In contrary, the responsible ones, transnational firms and
the "democratical" governments of the North in collaboration with
dictatorial regimes world-wide are those who will fix what will be to be
seen at this exposition. Accordingly, precisely the policy of
"globalisation", which causes pauperization, will be presented at the
world exposition as the solution for the problems.

Instead of naming the unjust economical situation as a crucial cause, the
responsibility is shifted on to the weakest. Once again the myth of the so
called population explosion hazard is propagandized. Migration and the
increase of population are doubtless a problem in some regions. Still they
are not the reasons for poverty and environmental destruction but
themselves caused by jungle clearing, technological large-scale projects
(e.g. dam projects) and the fact that cultural and social structures are
destroyed by the influence of the above mentioned large-scale trusts and
governments. It is obvious, that the real aim is to keep up the existing
injustice referring to the distribution of power and wealth. The EXPO
serves to legitimize this grievance.

At the EXPO there will be no socio-political question discussed by the
Affected. Neither is it designed as a visualization of the world-wide
resistance against this "globalisation". Once again technological solution
drafts are traded due to the interest of the trusts: genetical technology
is said to fight the hunger in the world by raising the proceeds of
agriculture. Even the United Nations, however, admit that more and more
people are refused to use land and lack the means to get any food. The
problem does not consist of the general amount of food. Atomic technology
is supposed to cover the increasing demand of energy, although its danger
of atomic radiation is well known and a sketch for a safe storage of the
atomic waste does not exist at all. Information- and communication
technology enhance the means of control and serve for the deprivation of
knowledge and expert knowledge.

It is impossible for the "developing countries" to experience a
development independent from the "industrial countries". To begin with,
they are denied to have their own know-how. The fact that "developing
countries" have to buy technology makes them even more addicted to the
"industrial countries" or their trusts. The world exposition creates
acceptance for technologies, that have already been enforced for years and
bestow immense profit upon the trusts that sell them.

All over the world it is mostly women who are affected by poverty and the
measures of population policy. On the other hand it is mostly men of the
upper classes who enforce the "globalisation" and define what's good for
these women, what's good for us all. This is another reason why democracy
is out of the question.

It will be mostly men, too, who are during the EXPO going to discuss the
solution of the world's problems at "important" meetings - and who are
going to "relax" in the evening. Accordingly the sex-working industry is
preparing for the world exposition in Hanover. The women who are working
there, in the first place foreigners, won't be on the winners side. After
the world exposition will be finished, they will be expelled on the spot,
after most brutal exploitation within a precarious residence-, live- and
working situation. There won't be a legalization of prostitution, its
recognition as a profession, no residence- or working-permissions will be
given. The profit will be for pimps and corrupt officers as well as for
men who "just want to have fun". Any long-term obligation would be
disturbing, as this would raise the prizes.

The EXPO will be no "festival of the peoples"! In the first place, the
EXPO will serve as a presentation possibility for governments, trusts and
world-wide organizations. Of course only those people who can afford to
travel to Hanover will be able to visit the exposition. That's how already
the largest part of the world`s population is kept out of the game.

The government of the FRG, for example, wants to show that our country is
global, open-minded and humane. The humanity of our country has been
proved in abundance when at the beginning of the 90s the right of
sanctuary has been cut down drastically. Today, almost as many people lose
their lives by "illegal crossing of the border" as in times when the wall
between the FRG and the GDR still existed. Paupers, oppressed, tortured
and sexually discriminated people are composed as a danger for FRGS
wealth. The government of the FRG is a driving force as far as to prevent
unwanted people from crossing European borders and to promote racism. In
addition to that, the FRG owns a main responsibility for hunger, poverty,
unemployment and environmental destruction all over the world, as it is
one of its richest countries.

Nevertheless all other European countries who will present themselves,
Japan and the USA increase world-wide pauperization and environmental
destruction by their industrial and agricultural policies. Moreover there
will be many governments represented at the EXPO who are responsible for a
massive violation of human rights - torture, general massacre, political
persecution due to sex and sexual orientation and pauperization.
Indonesia, Turkey and Nigeria shall be denominated here by proxy of all
other countries.

Those who are profiting from the unjust situation of the world's economy
will carry on their business at the world's exposition in collaboration
with the world-wide operating trusts IBM, Siemens, Philips, Microsoft,
Shell and Benz - just to name a few. They want to secure as high a profit
as possible, no matter whether by selling solar technology, weapons or any
other technology. Shell, e.g. , does not hesitate to collaborate with the
regime in Nigeria and to destroy human beings and environment by this!

This is a contribution to unmask the world exposition EXPO 2000 and so a
part of the resistance against it.



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