Tunisia's Old Industrial Policy: Poison the Poor, Boost the GDP
Thousands in Gabes, Tunisia, are protesting an aging chemical plant, which Al-Monitor notes is 'blamed for hundreds of cases of poisoning' as authorities prioritize 'struggling economy' over public health. This is a classic playbook entry: sacrifice the most vulnerable for abstract 'growth.' The Tunisian Chemical Group, once a publicly-owned entity, has long been mired in controversy, with
environmental impact assessments frequently dismissed or delayed for 'national interest' – a familiar refrain when profits outweigh lives. One might almost marvel at the sheer predictability: a former colonial power (looking at you, France, with your 1970s development 'aid' in phosphate processing) leaves behind an extractive industrial legacy, and the local government, desperate for foreign
currency, continues the exploitation. The 'anger has reignited,' according to Al-Monitor, because, apparently, decades of slow poisoning just hits different when the government explicitly says they're expanding the operation. How many 'hundreds of cases' becomes a priority? Apparently, more than hundreds.