ANDRE GUNDER FRANK
Author of numerous books including The European Challenge and co-editor of The World System, Frank is available for a limited number of interviews. He said today: “A subject rarely spoken about but that underlies many issues is the rivalry between the dollar and the euro. OPEC is moving toward using the euro as its standard and this could cause a run on the dollar, dislodging the U.S. from its current primacy. The prosperity of the U.S. rests largely on its position in the world today as Britain’s did in the 19th century. This is both in terms of the dollar as the world’s currency (all the U.S. has to do is print dollars and people want them) and its control over oil. Oil is clearly one of the driving forces in U.S. government policy in Afghanistan, Iraq, Venezuela and Iran. North Korea, another major U.S.target, has converted to the euro, causing Washington’s anger….”
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Rev. G. SIMON HARAK
Jesuit priest and author of the books Virtuous Passions: The Formation of Christian Character and Nonviolence for the Third Millennium, Harak is anti-militarism coordinator for the War Resisters League. He is available to comment on Bush’s meeting with the Pope.
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STASY McDOUGALL
McDougall is congressional outreach coordinator at the Venezuela Information Office (a Washington-based organization contracted by the Venezuelan Embassy to disseminate information about contemporary Venezuela). She said today: “With the constitutionally based recall referendum moving forward, the people of Venezuela will once again go to the polls, empowered by their Constitution’s vision of participatory democracy laid out by its ratification in 1999, to determine, peacefully and democratically, who should govern their country. Hugo Chavez has said in recent weeks that he looks forward to yet another opportunity to demonstrate his ample support among Venezuelan voters, many of whom have benefited from the innovative social programs implemented in the last five years
STEVEN KULL
Kull is the director of the Program on International Policy Attitudes, which co-released a poll today of over 18,000 people in 19 countries. Among the findings: “Asked about the general direction of the world, 60 percent of overall respondents said that the world is not going in the right direction…. Overall, only 37 percent said that the U.S.is having a positive influence in the world…. A clear majority of world public opinion (56 percent) does not think that rich countries are playing fair in trade negotiations with poor countries…. An overwhelming worldwide consensus (84 percent) agrees that rich countries have a moral responsibility to help poor countries develop, with majorities in most countries feeling this way strongly…. Majorities in Spain, Great Britain, Germany and Canada say they are ready to open their markets…. The lowest level of support was found in the U.S. where only 35 percent favored opening their market…. A majority worldwide (60 percent) said they trust the United Nations to ‘operate in the best interests’ of their society. The only type of institution to receive a higher rating was ‘non-governmental organizations such as environmental and social advocacy groups,’ which were trusted by 66 percent. Institutions receiving lower levels of trust were national governments (54 percent), large domestic companies (53 percent), press and media (50 percent), trade and labor unions (49 percent), and global companies (41 percent).” Kull noted that in some countries in the poll, such as South Africa and China, only people in cities were reached.
For more information, contact at the Institute for Public Accuracy:
Sam Husseini, (202) 347-0020; David Zupan, (541) 484-9167
