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of dollars, which threaten its vaulted financial gains— for when a company operates in blatant disregard for the health, security, livelihood, safety and environment of the communities within which it operates, there can be real financial repercussions. Chevron buys political influence and control at the local and national levels at each of its operational sites in order to circumvent or trump laws that would protect people and environments from the company's destructive practices. This alternative report shows Chevron's pattern o hiring harsh military "protection" against loca residents, evidenced in Iraq, the Niger Delta, Chad, Cameroon, Angola and Burma, where massive increases in military presence and widespread abuses of human rights—including forced labour, murder, rape, forced relocation of villages and more—are ongoing agains communities living in and around Chevron projects. of dollars, which threaten its vaulted financial gains— $106 billion war-spending bill into law, Obama included or when a company operates in blatant disregard for a five-paragraph signing statement with the bill in which he health, security, livelihood, safety and environment _ he also refused to require the Department of Treasury to of the communities within which it operates, there can _ report to Congress on the activities of the World Bank be real financial repercussions. and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The Chevron buys political influence and control at the — sections rejected by Obama would have required his ocal and national levels at each of its operational sites | administration to direct its World Bank representatives in order to circumvent or trump laws that would protec © pressure that institution into using metrics that people and environments from the company's _ “fairly represent the value of internationally recognized destructive practices. workers” rights. Organised labour groups had pushed This alternative report shows Chevron's pattern o or a revision of those standards. iring harsh military "protection" against loca Another section rejected by Obama would have residents, evidenced in Iraq, the Niger Delta, Chad, pushed the World Bank to account for the cost of Cameroon, Angola and Burma, where massive increases greenhouse gas in pricing projects and to disclose in military presence and widespread abuses of human _ operating budgets more fully. Yet another section rights—including forced labour, murder, rape, forced rejected by Obama would have required Treasury relocation of villages and more—are ongoing agains Secretary Tim Geithner to develop a report with the communities living in and around Chevron projects. eads of the World Bank and IMF, "detailing the steps aken to coordinate the activities of the World Bank and the Fund" to eliminate overlap between the two. 19. Obama Administration Assures World Bank and IMF of a Free Rein of Abuse The World Trade ‘ Organization (WTO) has an So while everyone talks agreement called the| about putting into place rules Financial Services Agreement b . that explicitly applies to over " regarding being . 100 countries and mandates too big to fail 5 there is a major deregulation. For WTO dictate that forbids instance, it has a rule that you cannot have a domestic law such regulation. that limits the size of a financial service firm— area in the US. insurance, banking, Charter schools are often securities—even if it applies marketed as incubators of equally to foreign and domestic companies. So while educational innovation, and they form a key feature of everyone talks about putting into place rules regarding the Obama administration's school reform agenda. But being "too big to fail", there is a WTO dictate that in some urban communities, they may be fuelling de facto orbids such regulation. In short, these binding WTO school segregation and undermining public education. 20. Obama's Charter School Policies Spread Segregation and Undermine Unions Charter schools continue to stratify students by race, class and sometimes language, and are more racially isolated than traditional public schools in virtually every state and large metropolitan rules require countries to maintain the same policies n many charter schools, 90 to 100 per cent of the hat led to the financial crisis. This agreement was population are minority students, close to twice the rate never brought to a vote in any Congress. of traditional public schools. But even a charter school Jesse Griffiths, coordinator of the London-based with a social mission of promoting economic and racial Bretton Woods Project, said: "The ideology of the IMF equity still runs up against the limits posed by and World Bank has failed and the accompanying _ selectivity and exclusion. structures have failed." He added: "In addition to the Obama's national education policy supports the current enormous economic instability, the system has expansion of charter schools to undermine public ailed to create equity and eradicate poverty; it has | education and schoolteacher labour unions. Obama ailed to ensure that human rights are protected, and it wants to tie teachers’ pay to student performance, as failed to address environmental issues." which would be measured through test scores. Merit The failures of these global entities have not pay based on performance is strongly opposed by prevented President Obama from allowing their teachers’ unions nationwide. Teachers want equal pay relatively free rein in relation to the US government. In for equal work, and assurances that funding for low- une 2009, President Obama used his sixth signing income schools will be fair. Charters are known for statement to negate provisions of US legislation that resisting teacher unions, which means that they drive would have compelled the World Bank to strengthen — segregation not only in the student population but in abour and environmental standards. When signing the _ the school workforce as well. So while everyone talks about putting into place rules regarding being "too big to fail", there is a WTO dictate that forbids 20 * NEXUS such regulation. DECEMBER 2010 - JANUARY 2011 www.nexusmagazine.com