The United States and its allies feel aggrieved that details of diplomatic engagement have been revealed. While we understand the concerns of those who feel attacked, we have argued that the revelations should be read within the wider context of an increasingly globalised world where political power has been sucked out of small governments such as ours and belong to the superpowers such as the United States. In the larger scheme of things, the actions of those in power in Washington or London or even Brussels have serious implications for many people around the world. The emasculation of such organs as the UN and other multilateral bodies means there is no avenue through which the citizens of the world are able to hold world leaders accountable. We see these revelations in that context, painful as they might be for the countries involved. We think, although the specific facts may be questionable, the larger truth revealed by these accounts will go a long way in casting light on how the powerful First World interacts with the powerless so-called Third World.
Which brings us to the relationship between the multinationals and the Third World. The First World rules this world in partnership with, and sometimes for, the multinationals. The nexus between the First World and the multinational corporations have been well illuminated by the recent revelations, and it makes for grave reading.
