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POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE PIPI4T YOU HEAR… MicRoSoFT AND THE GoVERMENT REACHED A SETTLEMENT.. JUNGLE OF DEMOCRACY. The World Trade Organization is holding a Ministerial Summit in Seattle \(November 29Decemset the agenda for trade negotiations for the next decade. President Clinton will welcome the delegates and pump up enthusiasm for “free trade”: i.e., free access for international investors to unregulated markets, big profits, and quick getaways, without regard for human rights, labor rights, or the environment. Under discussion will be a revival of the Multilateral Agreement on Investment: the All-Powerto-Capital proposal which temporarily foundered in Paris but is still a very popular item among western bankers and politicians. But the W.T.O. will also be met by plenty of public opposition, brought together in the U.S. by Public Citizen, the AFLCIO, the Alliance for Democracy, the Washington State Association of Churches, the Citizens Trade Campaign, and a host of other public interest groups. The populist agitation has not gone unnoticed on high, where the authorities are growing nervous that democracy might break out on the ground and interfere with plans for an untroubled ratification of Government by Multinational Corporations. Washington Senator Patty Murray wrote to Clinton, asking him to take steps to maintain order and to promote the W.T.O. It seems the Seattle Host Organization complained that some businesses have been reluctant to seem too supportive of the Summit, for fear of popular outrage. Murray asked Clinton to take steps to prevent “disruption,” and to lend explicit support to the W.T.O.’s free trade agenda. “I believe you should give a major pro-trade address in the United States as soon as possible…,” Murray wrote. “The W.T.O. is the indispensable rule-making enforcement body that provides a foundation for economic growth for all countries, developing and developed alike. Without the W.T.O. and its rules, we would be reduced to having the law of the jungle.” Murray went on to suggest that Clinton meet with representatives of the protesting groups and ask them not to complain too loudly, in return for the president’s reassurances. “It is important for these groups to understand,” Murray added, “that many of their concerns will be raised and in fact …. …. , …….. …… . , -. …. … …._ ,… …. ,,,,.. . …. …. .,…… … ”’ ,…… …..-,.._. … ,.. -…. . … … , , -,…… …. .. … …. championed by your administration.” If Murray believes that, Clinton has a NAFTA deal he’d like to sell her. \(Murray’s letter is available on the Jim Hightower website at www.jimhightower.com Citizens interested in tweaking Murray’s nose and exercising their democratic rights check out www.seattlewto.org for continuBYE-BYE DOLLAR BILL. U.T. System Chancellor William Cunningham has announced his retirement in August, 2000, and the outpouring of lamentation on campus has been, well, inaudible. Cunningham , … ‘ \\\\ , — ‘ _ t \\ N – . .. d …. -/ – ….P \\I j 1 i 1 .–.. , . 1 ……, .., . …; ..1 ,l 1, …. — -.. ……. . … / I .” 1 I 1 1 ..-=. …….. ; . ….: “. ..–” -, j – -../ …/ ……, -* ,.. ‘ …./ I , …. i 1 …… …. …, . …. -… ,./ …’ … …../ _, ……….. ..,. ” ../ ../.., ./ -.. _ ___ _, ,…… ….._ _ , i ce .–, , ::, .”- / ………. … -. …….,……—………. …–…–“.,-..—-. , is best known for emphasizing the university’s corporate fundraising and physical expansion at the expense of its presumably educational mission, and his high-handed ways of dismissing matters of faculty governance and student activism. Cunningham’s memory is also highly selective. He took the opportunity of a September 2 interview with the student newspaper, The Daily Texan, to rewrite history and lash out at his critics and those of his good friend Jim Bob Moffett, C.E.O. of Freeport-McMoRan. As Cunningham tells it, if it hadn’t been for one recalcitrant professor, Steven Feld \(a world-renowned anthropologist, musicologist, and MacArthur fellow who has since moved on to friendlier . N .” ….. … .0 .. _ .——,-. –..’ …. .. -.i –e * . ‘…… ”’ -… …’ …. .., —s –7-\\-:-:, —‘” -” ..*–. …. -. ,, ….. …. –… .. … …. …… … … -.. , … –. …_ -_,. …7_ .., …. _, : t 74 4 ‘6&ER –.. .._, , .__ _ . s..- ..,_ -. –…..,…. ..,,,_,….. .. ,.. … -… 16 THE TEXAS OBSERVER SEPTEMBER 17, 1999