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Free Trade at the Crossroad

By David Moberg

The collapse of World Trade Organization talks in Cancun has greatly delayed the negotiations of any new expanded trade agreement. That prospect brought moans from U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick, who blamed the result on a clash between “can-do” and “won’t-do” countries. It also brought cheers from some anti-globalization groups. There is reason to cheer—but not much. With the delay comes… return to article

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    It is true that the winners of an agricultural export encouraging policy in Brazil would be the big soybean farmers, an the landless peasants would not be directly affected. However, Brazil’s official language is Portuguese, and Spanish is not spoken here. There’s no “Movimiento Sin Tierra”, but a “Movimento dos Sem-Terra”, instead.

    Brazil Posted by Lucas Neves on Oct 2, 2003 at 12:31 AM

    Please tell me as you can. Because i want to know all the issues.

    Cambodia Posted by ung Praseth on Oct 2, 2003 at 11:17 AM

    The interests of the transnational corporations are ultimately in basic conflict with concepts of national sovereignty.  In a white paper commissioned by President George Washington and the U.S. Congress, first Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton articulated a policy of industrial and military self-sufficiency.  Hamilton’s Report on Manufactures says:
    “Not only the wealth, but the independence and security of a Country, appear to be materially connected with the prosperity of manufactures. Every nation, with a view to those great objects, ought to endeavour to possess within itself all the essentials of national supply. These comprise the means of Subsistence, habitation, clothing, and defence.


    The possession of these is necessary to the perfection of the body politic; to the safety as well as to the welfare of the society; the want of either is the want of an important Organ of political life and Motion; and in the various crises which await a state, it must severely feel the effects of any such deficiency. The extreme embarrassments of the United States during the late War, from an incapacity of supplying themselves, are still matter of keen recollection: A future war might be expected again to exemplify the mischiefs and dangers of a situation to which that incapacity is still in too great a degree applicable, unless changed by timely and vigorous exertion. To effect this change, as fast as shall be prudent, merits all the attention and all the Zeal of our Public Councils; ‘tis the next great work to be accomplished.”

    Our present trade agreements are in contradiction to the designs and intent of our founding fathers.  Their ‘next great work to be accomplished’ is being systematically undone.  Not every nation is so willing as we to complacently relinquish its vitality for quick, dirty profits.  Our hubris and naivete will eventually exact a substantial cost.

    B G Cosby

    United States Posted by B G Cosby on Oct 3, 2003 at 2:31 PM

    B G Cosby,...thank you for sharing that beautiful vision articulated by some of our “forefathers”.  Although they
    served in positions of “power”, they held the humility necessary to offer such incredible wisdom.  Unlike the “leadership” of today, they embraced the notion that a nation must be built from the foundation up,...not from the “white ivory tower” down.  The “white ivory” ones may be back and doing havoc once again.  Butl,...at least one can sense that those “towers” are having shorter and shorter life spans.  It’s all a process. 

    United States Posted by Just Me on Oct 16, 2003 at 11:51 PM
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