Discography:
• Anti-Imperialist (EP) (1993)
• Fuck Nazi Sympathy (EP) (1994)
• The System Works For Them (1996)
• ...And Now Back to Our Programming (1998)
• The Rotten Agenda (2001)
Band members:
Dave Trenga - vocals
Adrienne Droogas - vocals
Eric Good - guitar, vocals
Corey Lyons - bass
Matt Garabedian - drums
World Bank
Aus-Rotten Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
An instrument of transnational companies to overule domestic laws
Serving merely as a weapon for american foreign policy leverage
Starvation is considered an effective repayment incentive
The initiating step in US planned destabilizaion Is extorting money by economic manipulation
With world bank interference development is prevented
Their actions differ greatly from the compassionate image that's presented
Restructuring the world ecomomy is the world bank and the IMF
The third world is descended so deeply into debt that their economies can't function
The demand for outrageous interest force these countries to increase production
Ecuador is forced to porduce more oil to repay all it's debt
This strain upon the ecosystem's an environmental threat
Rainforests have been ravished for iron smelting i Brazil
Ten million people have been forced from the land the world bank steal
Structural adjustment programs have pushed Peru to poverty
While many African nations suffer from extreme austerity
Restructuring the world economy is the world bank and the IMF
Benefitting the richest countries while developing nations are bled to death
Establishing puppet dictators whose actions are devestating
The world's economists line their pockets with the regimes that they're creating
They're the power watchdog security guarding where first world interests lie
They slash and burn the rainforests or build another dam
They systematically drive the indigenous people off of their land
They've paved the way for industry to legally cease resources
By imposing the political policies their leashed tyrant enforces
Restructuring the world economy is the world bank and the IMF
Benefitting the richest countries while developing nations are bled to death
The lyrics to Aus-Rotten's song The World Bank are a scathing critique of the World Bank and its practices. The song highlights how poverty-stricken the third world is, and it blames the World Bank as the cause for this. The World Bank is referred to as an instrument of transnational companies that override domestic laws. It is seen as a weapon for American foreign policy leverage, and starvation is considered an effective repayment incentive. US planned destabilisation is said to originate from extortion of money by economic manipulation. Aus-Rotten allege that the World Bank prevents development and its actions greatly differ from the compassionate image that it presents to the world.
The song mentions specific damaging impacts of World Bank projects in various countries. For example, Ecuador is forced to produce more oil to repay its debt, putting a strain on the environment. In Brazil, rainforests have been ravished for iron smelting, resulting in ten million people forced out of their lands. Peru has been pushed to poverty by the Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs), and many African nations suffer from extreme austerity. Aus-Rotten assert that the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are restructuring the world economy, benefiting the richest countries while developing nations are bled to death. Their actions involve establishing puppet dictators whose actions are devastating, and they guard the interests of first-world countries.
Overall, The World Bank is a powerful song that condemns the World Bank's policies and practices. Its lyrics bring attention to the ways in which international organizations and more developed nations have exploited and oppressed the global south. The song demands that the World Bank be held accountable for the problems it has caused and calls for a more just distribution of wealth and resources.
Line by Line Meaning
Third world is plagued by poverty and the world bank is the cause
The world bank is at fault for causing poverty in the third world.
An instrument of transnational companies to overrule domestic laws
The world bank works on behalf of transnational corporations to disregard local laws.
Serving merely as a weapon for american foreign policy leverage
The world bank is used by the United States for foreign policy leverage.
Starvation is considered an effective repayment incentive
Starvation is used as motivation for loan repayment.
The initiating step in US planned destabilization is extorting money by economic manipulation
The United States initiates destabilization by manipulating economies to extort money.
With world bank interference development is prevented
The world bank prevents development through its interference.
Their actions differ greatly from the compassionate image that's presented
The world bank's actions do not match their compassionate image.
Restructuring the world economy is the world bank and the IMF
The world bank and IMF are responsible for restructuring the global economy.
Benefitting the richest countries while developing nations are bled to death
The world bank and IMF benefit wealthy countries while draining developing nations.
The third world is descended so deeply into debt that their economies can't function
Third world countries are in debt to a point where their economies cannot operate.
The demand for outrageous interest force these countries to increase production
High interest rates push these countries to produce more.
Ecuador is forced to produce more oil to repay all it's debt
Ecuador has to produce more oil to pay off their debt.
This strain upon the ecosystem's an environmental threat
The added oil production is harming the environment.
Rainforests have been ravished for iron smelting i Brazil
Brazil's rainforests are being destroyed for iron smelting.
Ten million people have been forced from the land the world bank steal
The world bank has displaced ten million people from their land.
Structural adjustment programs have pushed Peru to poverty
Peru's poverty is a result of structural adjustment programs.
While many African nations suffer from extreme austerity
African nations are experiencing severe austerity measures.
Establishing puppet dictators whose actions are devastating
The world bank helps install puppet dictators whose actions are harmful.
The world's economists line their pockets with the regimes that they're creating
Economists benefit financially from creating these regimes.
They're the power watchdog security guarding where first world interests lie
The world bank is a watchdog for first world interests.
They slash and burn the rainforests or build another dam
The world bank destroys rainforests or builds dams.
They systematically drive the indigenous people off of their land
Indigenous people are forcibly removed from their land.
They've paved the way for industry to legally cease resources
The world bank allows industry to legally take natural resources.
By imposing the political policies their leashed tyrant enforces
The world bank imposes political policies enforced by dictators.
Restructuring the world economy is the world bank and the IMF
The world bank and IMF are responsible for restructuring the global economy.
Benefitting the richest countries while developing nations are bled to death
The world bank and IMF benefit wealthy countries while draining developing nations.
Contributed by Natalie R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.