[asia-apec 1127] Re: Destruction of Albania (Part I)

[David E. Ortman]

TO: Professor Chossudovsky, et al.
FR: David E. Ortman
        Seattle, WA

I am somewhat handicapped by not having received Part II of the material
posted below and I also realise that the material is two years old and was
written for a different purpose.   And I have no interest in defending the
IMF, World Bank or the other global finanical institutions that are now
capable of dictating terms to sovereign countries.  However, I am troubled
by the analysis below which seems to start around 1991 with no historical
context to the long term problems facing a country such as Albania.   To
suggest that the economic destruction of Albania started in just the last
ten years seems to overlook the obvious fact that since World War II, the
Albania economy was certainly not doing very well.

I'm wondering if the rest of your book provides a broader context for
understanding economic problems in places such as Albania without placing
all the blame on the events of just the past few years.


At 02:12 PM 5/13/99 +0800, you wrote:
>
>
>THE ECONOMIC DESTRUCTION OF ALBANIA 
>
>by
>Michel Chossudovsky
>
>Professor of Economics at the University of Ottawa and author of The
>Globalization of Poverty, Impacts of IMF and World Bank Reforms, Third World
>Network, Penang and Zed Books, London, 1997. 
>
>C Copyright by Michel Chossudovsky, Ottawa, 1997. All rights reserved. 
>
>(Internet version in two parts: part I: Historical background, Part II
>Criminalisation of the State)
>
>PART I HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE CRISIS 
>
>The following text was written in the wake of the 1997 protest movement which
>culminated in Western military intervention under a Multinational Protection
>Force (MPF). These events in Albania took place barely two years prior to the
>onslaught of the NATO bombings of Yugoslavia. 
>

>(CONTINUED, PART II THE CRIMINALISATION OF THE STATE)
>
>*   *   *
>
>Permission is granted to post this text on noncommercial community internet
>sites, provided the essay remains intact and the copyright note is displayed.
>To publish this text in printed and/or other forms contact the author at
>chossudovsky at sprint.ca, fax 1-514-4256224. 
>
> 
>
>
>Michel Chossudovsky 
>Professor of Economics,  University  of Ottawa
>Member of the Ad Hoc Committee to Stop Canada's  
>Participation  in the War in Yugoslavia 
>
>Voice 613-5625800, Ext. 1415 
>email chossudovsky at sprint.ca
>
>On Kosovo:  http://www.transnational.org/features/crimefinansed.html
>On the break-up of Yugoslavia:
>http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/62/022.html
>
>
>