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DAM-L waterbank: "NO human right to water, why NAFTA and GATT are GOOD, (fwd)
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To: dianne@sandelman.ottawa.on.ca
Subject: waterbank: "NO human right to water, why NAFTA and GATT are GOOD,
Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2001 01:24:20 -0500
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Right to Water (right-to-water@iatp.org) Posted: 10/27/2001 By billsmith@philippinefamily.net
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please excuse small caps.
a theoretically (and grammatically) frightening letter from someone who picked
up on the human right tables via one of the list serves. he condemned some in
the movement and all contributing to it, so i figured many of you referenced
would appreciate the courtesy. evidently we DON'T want to water for the poor
because it would put us out of business... yes, if it were not so sad it would
be humorous. this is exactly the type of god-complex stance that is dangerous
with such people at, as he states, the "ministerial and political level" pulling
and hoarding levers of power. there are so many faulty assumptions and such
poor logical progression (never mind ecological arguments) that it is difficult
to know where to begin to help this person. nevertheless, it is important to
understand how those who seat themselves at the point of power rationalize their
stance. needless to say, consider the haughty source and its vested interest.
perhaps we can enlighten this misguided person so he can better understand the
big picture. i withheld from you the bizarre inclusion of a large song at the
end so your email is not clogged.
all the best!
bill smith, jr.
=================================================================
Subject: NAFTA ETC
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2001 17:36:44 -0600
From: William Turner <senatorbill@nmia.com>
Organization:Turner Environmental
To: "'billsmith@philippinefamily.net'"
<billsmith@philippinefamily.net>
CC: "'wturner@waterbank.com'" <wturner@waterbank.com>
October 20, 2000
Bill
I suspect that it is unusual to receive the missive that follows in
response to a simple request over the Internet.
There are five very smart people who have done a lot of very good work on
this subject. I don't mean to be unkind but your table on this subject is
sophomoric.
You are trying to say there is a human right to water? In fact, there is
no human right to water. That may seem unkind, callous and uncharitable.
NGO's would have everyone believe there is a human right to water. That
was the conclusion of the World Vision Conference in March 2000. After
all some NGO's couldn't exist if there weren't thirsty people, could they?
So they owe their existence and sustenance to their own mantra and prey
upon people to fund them.
There is only a human need and no one is obligated to provide that need
save the individual who needs it. They can collect rainfall, divert it
from rivers, dig for it or buy it or their government can provide it. T
here is no God-given right here.
Before there were governments, there was a human need and there was no one
save the individual to provide for his own needs. I am afraid I cannot buy
a goody-two-shoes slogans. I am a kind and caring person and I believe
your pain that everyone cannot have good clear water as Marty Robbins
alludes to in his song "Cool Water." Not everyone can be rich and not
everyone is poor, are they? But, the poor and thirsty will always be with
us, won't they? They always have and they always
will.(http://wjturnermd.org/mf.htm)
Now NAFTA and GATT provide a consistent framework by which the water needs
of people can be met by men and women of action. What stands in their way
are naysayers and persistent tribalism/nationalism. NAFTA and GATT and
the FTAA provide a mechanism by which national laws that are tribalistic
and constructed to prohibit the satisfaction of man's need for water can be
overcome to meet those needs.
The prohibition to the export of bulk water from Canada to Indonesia in
1999? to alleviate drought and provide water to Indonesians is but one
example of man's inhumanity to man because if any exports were permitted
then the door would be open to all exports. So did we sacrifice
Indonesians and their "right to water" at the alter of the Council of
Canadians and their determination to prevent bulk water from Canada. They
speak out of both sides of their mouth don't they. They are brothers with
the people of Cochabamba. They are opposed to privatisation. They are
opposed to multi-national companies. They are in favor of the human right
to water. But when push comes to shove they won't provide the water if it
means exporting it from Canada will they? Do they or any of the NGO's have
a solution to the provision of water to people. All I hear is negative
proposals. Nothing really practically positive.
Rather than obstructionist policy, you should find constructive ways to
provide water to all people whether it is working with the Consiel des
Eglise du Zaire to build infiltration galleries and hand dug wells or
whether it is working at the political level to overcome obstacles that
prevent the export of water from the have to the have not nations for
humanitarian purposes.
As one who has spent his life working on missions throughout Africa and
South America to provide people with water using appropriate technology,
and as one who works at the ministerial and political level to change the
laws, I would suggest, you work with the putty you are given to make the
changes necessary.
Sorry if I have gotten carried away here. I am passionate on this subject
and I have a passion that people behave in a positive and affirmative
manner to solve the problems of the world.
If you are interested in these issues of NAFTA and GATT in far more depth,
I suggest you visit Newsletters 15 and 18 on the (www. waterbank.com)
website. If you are interested in propaganda, I suggest you visit the web
site for the Council of Canadians as they develops a strategy for Canada to
hoard its water using environmental hooks and seemingly innocuous but
powerful blocking legislation.
I am happy to discuss these issues with you at any time. My telephone
number is 505-843-7643.
Be positive.
Bill Turner
P.S. For you enlightenment and enjoyment, I attach the Marty Robbins song
------ =_NextPart_000_01C15E44.CC8686C0
Content-Type: audio/mpeg; name="_04_Marty_Robbins_Cool_Water.mp3"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64
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