The worldly powers of global corporations are clashing this week with the
worldly powers of a protest coalition of leftists, labor organizations, and environmentalist
groups. The Third World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference begins
Tuesday, November 30th, in Seattle, Washington.
“THE CONTROVERSIAL 4-day meeting will bring an
estimated 50,000–100,000 delegates, observers, journalists and protesters
from around the globe. Traffic problems and congestion, and some major street
closures can be expected in downtown Seattle.” (King 5 TV website)
“In brief, the World Trade Organization (WTO) is
the only international organization dealing with the global rules of trade
between nations. Its main function is to ensure that trade flows as smoothly,
predictably and freely as possible.”
“The goal is to improve the welfare of the peoples of
the member countries.”
“The multilateral trading system — past,
present and future.
"The World Trade Organization came into being in
1995. One of the youngest of the international organizations, the WTO is the
successor to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) established
in the wake of the Second World War.
"So while the WTO is still young, the multilateral
trading system that was originally set up under GATT is already 50 years
old. The system celebrated its golden jubilee in Geneva on 19 May 1998, with
many heads of state and government leaders attending.”
For a glimpse at part
of the coalition of protesters, excerpts follow from the website of
"Seattle WTO – Mobilization Against Corporate Globalization"
http://www.seattle99.org/ [12/20/2001 This site is gone now. Try WTOwatch.org
]
"We are a group of International, National and Seattle groups who have
come together to oppose the destruction of people and environment that
untrammeled free trade promises. We are diverse in our approaches and messages
but unified in calling for citizens around the world become involved in
setting their own destiny.
"We encourage those who can to come to Seattle to be counted in our
call for the involvement of Civil Society in the assessment of the impact of
the WTO on people, governments and the environment. For those who can't we
encourage you to work in your own communities."
One of the ways that people are controlled is by allowing
themselves to be polarized by propaganda hype and worldly conflicts. Whether
it's the Powers of Financial Capitalism or the masses appearing to rise up in
rebellion, both are led by enemies of God for worldly agendas. Followers of the
Lord Jesus have a different calling: to rescue people out of the world system
and not to fight the World's battles.