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LaRouche, In Rome, Addresses
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by Liliana Gorini On Nov. 20-24, U.S. Democratic Presidential pre-candidate Lyndon H. LaRouche was in Rome to address a number of meetings with members of the Italian Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, and to participate in a televised debate on "Peace Through Development," broadcast live by a regional channel, Teleambiente, on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 22. On Nov. 21, LaRouche addressed a meeting organized by Tommaso Fulfaro, coordinator and spokesman of the Association for the Left, at Palazzo Marino, seat of some of the parliamentary caucuses. The meeting was attended by 30 Members of the Italian Parliament and various political and social groups, including trade unions and women's organizations. Among the political leaders were Dr. Nino Galloni, director of the Italian Labor Ministry, and former Member of Parliament Tullio Grimaldi, representing the Institute for Asia, which had invited LaRouche to Rome in October for a discussion on Eurasian economic development. After a brief introduction by Fulfaro, LaRouche opened the discussion by reporting on his personal experience during the Sept. 11 events, and the importance of Russian President Vladimir Putin's phone call to President George Bush, when Bush was flying from Louisiana to Nebraska, which avoided a serious global strategic crisis (see LaRouche's opening remarks below). Stick To The Truth About Sept. 11In this meetingand in those with members of the Italian Senate and other private meetings with members of Parliament during the following daysLaRouche invited Italian politicians to truly support the United States: by sticking to the truth about Sept. 11 and the world economic crisiswhich was a full-blown crisis already before Sept. 11rather than adopting the line offered by British Prime Minister Tony Blair and CNN. Italy and Europe, LaRouche said, should take a more active role in establishing close cooperation among the U.S., Russian, and European governments, in order to avoid a "clash of civilizations." He counterposed to this, concrete economic development projects for Eurasia, such as the Eurasian Land-Bridge and a New Bretton Woods reorganization of the international financial and credit system, which would be the keys to reviving the U.S. and European economies. Because of its geographic position as a bridge to the Middle East and Africa, and also because of the role played by Pope John Paul II in supporting a dialogue of civilizations, Italy can play an important role in Europe. The Italian interest in LaRouche's proposal for a debt and financial reorganization is demonstrated by the fact that motions for a New Bretton Woods system have been introduced and discussed in the Chamber of Deputies, the Senate, and the European Parliament, and were endorsed by Members of Parliament from both government and opposition parties. At the meeting on Nov. 21, many questions were posed to LaRouche, on the nature of the attempted coup d'état against the U.S. government, represented, as he explained, by the Sept. 11 attack on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon, by the danger of an extension of the resulting war to Iraq and other countries, and by the situation in Israel and the Middle East. Peace Through DevelopmentOn Nov. 22, LaRouche was the main guest in a TV debate, broadcast live by Teleambiente during the weekly program "Incontri con ..." ("Meetings With ..."). Host Giuseppe Vecchio introduced the four speakers: Lyndon H. LaRouche, Jr., economist and philosopher; Prof. Roberto Panizza, professor of international economics at Turin University; Galloni, director of the Labor Ministry; and Father Ulisse Frascali, president of the Nuovo Villaggio del Fanciullo Foundation in Ravenna. Vecchio introduced LaRouche as a special guest, saying, "LaRouche has been promoting a New Bretton Woods system for years, to replace the present, bankrupt, IMF system, and to create a just world economic order, which promotes the realization of infrastructural projects, such as the Eurasian Land-Bridge, allowing peace through development." "Peace through development" was the theme of the hour-long debate, and Vecchio asked LaRouche to explain to viewers his assessment of the present world economic crisis and how to get out of it. LaRouche's proposals were fully endorsed by Professor Panizza, who was one of the economists involved in preparing the proposal for debt relief for poor countries in the Jubilee Year, promoted by Pope John Paul II and the Italian Catholic Bishops Conference, and enacted by the Italian Parliament in July 2000. Panizza answered the host's question, "What do you think about LaRouche's view on an urgent financial reorganization?" saying, "I fully agree with everything LaRouche said, and I am always amazed to see how his ideas fully coincide with mine. I think such a financial reorganization would be much more effective in stopping international terrorism than bombing Afghanistan, since the main support to terrorism does not come from Afghanistan, but from financial interests involved in the drug trade and financial speculation worldwide, as LaRouche said." Galloni then emphasized the importance of what LaRouche had said about the phone call between President Putin and President Bush on Sept. 11, which averted a serious international crisis. Galloni also endorsed LaRouche's proposal for Third World development as the only solution, not only to poverty and destabilization, but also to the economic crisis in the developed countries, including Europe, which depends largely on export markets. Father Frascali added to the discussion his social experience, being a priest who works daily with the "forgotten man," those children and adults who are the first victims of what he called a "rush to success and riches," ignoring social values. At that point, Vecchio asked LaRouche to give his view, as an economist, on American economic thinking, and on John Maynard Keynes. LaRouche explained that many people in Europe tend to concentrate on Keynes, when they debate free-market economics, as opposed to other schools in economics; but that the American school of economics actually goes back to President Abraham Lincoln. Economist Panizza underlined the importance of what LaRouche said regarding three "American System" economistsAlexander Hamilton, Friedrich List, and Henry Careygiven the demonstrated failure of present economic theories to face the world financial crisis. The debate ended with the announcement of several future broadcasts on economics, with Professor Panizza and Galloni as permanent guests. Many viewers called into the TV station to congratulate LaRouche and the other speakers for their courage in openly discussing such important matters as the attack against the United States and the economic crisis. These are normally avoided now in TV debates, in order to stick to the propaganda line coming from CNN, BBC, and other media. After the debate, LaRouche was invited to a Thanksgiving dinner attended by the speakers, LaRouche's collaborators in the Italian Solidarity Movement, and young researchers and political activists who were not able to participate in the TV debate. The discussion continued at a restaurant in the vineyards of the Frascati area. Before leaving Rome the next day, LaRouche paid a visit to the Etruscan tombs in Cerveteri, which are dated as far back as the Seventh Century BC. |
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