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Enron Mail |
Dear friend and colleague,
I am asking for a few minutes of your time and consideration. But first I pray that you did not have any loved ones who were victims of the Sept. 11th tragedy. I, like you, have been absorbing all of the discussions surrounding the terrorist attacks. I have never seen our country so thoughtful, so questioning and so united. But I must admit I am very concerned for the future and for the choices we make as we move ahead. While I fully understand and support the need for a military response, I believe that the United States needs to take measures to bring more stability, economic balance and good will to the world community. I am a businessman in Washington State. In trade-reliant states such as ours, we are increasingly aware of our interdependence with the rest of the global economy, and the continuing need to nurture and grow emerging markets. It is good business and in our economic self-interest to help reduce the disparity between wealthy and poor nations. For the past 10 years I have worked on business solutions to poverty alleviation in Central America. I have become increasingly aware of the immense capacity of the US to share our knowledge, business know-how, entrepreneurial skill and financial resources with poorer countries. My involvement has convinced me that people who have hope for the future and an economic stake in their community share our desire for economic stability and productive societies. Conversely, conditions of poverty and despair breed hopelessness, violence and extremism. Two unfortunate realities haunt me. One is that fully half the people on our planet are barely surviving on an income of $2 per day, and their prospects for the future are dark indeed. The second is that the United States gives less per capita to international development efforts than any other industrialized nation. At the same time, our defense budget is one hundred and fifty times larger than our development assistance budget. Of course, we need a strong and vigorous defense capability, but I believe we also need to balance our response to the global economy by investing in measures that will help close the growing gap between the haves and have-nots. Not only is it the humanitarian thing to do, it is also a way to invest in preventative actions that will move us in the direction of balanced growth, rather than violence, terrorism and global economic instability. Out of this crisis, I believe there is an opportunity to build truly collaborative partnerships with other countries. Alongside our multilateral military response to the events of September 11th, we should seek multilateral efforts for increased political and economic support to poor countries. I hope that you will consider joining me in sending the following message to your elected leaders and decision makers, and to your friends and colleagues. Sincerely, Bill Clapp MESSAGE The September 11th attack on the United States represents an assault not only on the American people but also on the fundamental freedoms of our democratic society. In response, the United States government must weigh all the necessary military options to protect its interests and defend our citizens and territory. I am writing this letter to you, our elected and appointed officials, to express my encouragement and support for the difficult decisions you must make in the months ahead. As part of our national security and military response, I encourage you to pay equal attention to the following longer-term strategies: ? INCREASE U.S. POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC SUPPORT FOR POOR COUNTRIES: As the leader of the free world, the United States should use the opportunity created by this terrorist crisis to increase our commitment to poor countries. An enhanced effort to bridge the social and economic inequities in the world will reap significant benefits in the form of increased global stability and economic equity, and will help eliminate conditions of despair and hopelessness that breed violence and extremism. ? BUILD COALITIONS FOR GLOBAL STABILITY AND ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL EQUITY There is strength in numbers. The United States should build on the emerging anti-terrorist coalition to address the longer-term challenges that we must face together. Multilateral cooperation will add value and credibility to any efforts we undertake by demonstrating our commitment to shared values. Write your Representative: <http://www.house.gov/<; Write your Senator: <http://www.senate.gov/contacting/index.cfm<; Write to Secretary of State Colin Powell: <mailto:Secretary@state.gov< Write the White House: <mailto:president@whitehouse.gov< mailto:vice.president@whitehouse.gov Note: If you are interested in being a part of additional efforts to articulate the point of view expressed here, please send e-mail to <mailto:globalvoice@globalpartnerships.org<.
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