Dr. Rath Health Foundation

Responsibility for a healthy world

International Monetary Fund

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) was a result of WWII. It was created in 1944 to supervise the post-WWII economic and financial reconstruction of the world. The economic powers would contribute to the IMF money pool which, in turn, would provide the base for struggling countries to find financial support. This, at least, was the idealistic proclamation of the IMF goals, made at its inception.

Reality, however, was different. Over the past six decades, the IMF has been used to support the economic status quo of the G8-powers and maintain the economic imbalance between rich and poor nations. The IMF was one of the global tools of what should become known as "neo-colonialism".

Particularly appalling was the consistent and deliberate use of the IMF funds to support military dictatorships and other governments around the world, who supported the interests of multinational companies and the economic dominance of the G8. A list of these IMF-sponsored dictatorships and additional information about the IMF is provided here.

For the past sixty years, the US-governments have largely served the main economic legs of the G8, the multi-trillion dollar investment business with oil and drugs. With its IMF voting power of roughly 17%, the US-government has had by far the largest influence of world economic affairs.

During his election campaign Barack Obama promised to "change the US and the world". For that global change – i.e. to create a more just world – he needs the IMF and a strong voice of the Obama-government in that body.

Precisely, that is what the "status quo" wants to prevent. Decreasing the US voting power in the IMF would economically cripple the Obama-government from "changing the world". Moreover, this plan would guarantee the continued influence of the oil and drug cartel on the IMF and cement the rift between rich and poor nations on our planet for generations to come. This must not happen.