With Obama in Europe: Critical Perspectives

MARTIN KHOR
Available for a limited number of interviews, Khor is executive director of the South Center, a think tank of developing countries. He recently presented a paper to the UN, which begins: "The extraordinarily serious global economic crisis has its origins in the developed countries. Developing countries are not responsible, but they are severely affected, and in ways that are worse than the developed countries, as they also lack the means to counter the effects. Developing countries are only in the past few months beginning to feel the effects of the crisis, due to the lag time in transmission. The crisis will certainly last longer than originally expected, and then it may take even more time before a full recovery. ...
"The United Nations used to play a central role in policy formulation and in reaching and implementing agreements. However in recent years, too much faith and power had been given instead to the markets and to international financial institutions which supported the drive towards 'marketization' and 'financialization.'"
More Information

PATRICK SEALE
Seale is a British journalist now living in France and a leading expert on the Mideast. His books include "Asad: The Struggle for the Middle East."
Seale's recent articles include "Obama's Arab and Muslim Strategy," "The Impact of the Coming U.S.-Iran Detente" and "NATO's Tough Choices in Afghanistan."
More Information

DAVID MILLER
Miller is professor of sociology at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland and author of the book "Arguments Against G8." He said today: "[British Prime Minister] Gordon Brown said that he was confident that the demonstrator's demands would be met by his actions at the G-20. It's the same thing he said in 2005 at the G-8 meeting. People in London are demonstrating about the economy, war and climate, but the G-20 seem fundamentally to be upholding the interests of the bankers, to continue the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and are missing the chance for a global 'Green New Deal.'"

More Information

STEFFIE WOOLHANDLER
DAVID HIMMELSTEIN
Woolhandler and Himmelstein are associate professors of medicine at Harvard University and the co-founders of Physicians for a National Health Program. They have closely examined the health care systems of many European countries. Woolhandler said today: "The U.S. fails to cover 46 million people. Virtually all are covered in all European nations -- though small numbers of uninsured are creeping up in the Netherlands, which has adopted a market model of universal health care."

More Information

CHRIS CAPPS-SCHUBERT

Capps-Schubert deployed to Camp Victory, Baghdad from November 2005 to late September 2006. After a tour in Iraq, the former U.S. Army communications specialist refused to deploy to Afghanistan and went absent without leave (AWOL) in March 2007. Today, Capps-Schubert resides with his wife in Hanau, Germany and is the regional coordinator for Europe for the organization Iraq Veterans Against the War. The New Jersey native also counsels GIs who want to get out of the military or who have already deserted.
He spoke today about his plans to join the NATO protests in Strasbourg: "Soon after releasing a disappointing new plan for Afghanistan, U.S. President Barack Obama is traveling to Europe to solicit for more support for ISAF from his European allies. Additionally he has defended America's right to violate the sovereignty of Pakistan and has refused to give the American people what they want out of Iraq, a complete withdrawal. With someone who has not delivered on the 'change' he promised in his election campaign, I feel it is definitely appropriate and necessary to demonstrate to him and the other military advisors and politicians in Strasbourg that we will not tolerate anything less than the appropriate change he promised in his election campaign."
More Information