Free trade loses lustre

The Sunday Times ^ | February 29, 2004

[1rudeboy]

Can you direct me to the document? I surfed www.ftaa-alca.org/TNC and couldn't locate it.

[hedgetrimmer]

The question was for you 1rudeboy.

Structural Convergence Funds to correct the disparities in infrastructure and services, technological and innovative capacities, and human capital among the countries must be created in order to prevent a free trade area from becoming a space with some winners and many losers

Isn't one of the tenets of communism "from each according to his ability, to each according to his need"?

Isn't using the government to equalize economic differences communism?

Isn't the idea that there is no competition, no "winners and losers" economically, communism?

Isn't letting the market determine economic winners and some economic losers the essence of "free trade"?

Easy questions. You should be able to answer them.

[1rudeboy]

I refer you to my #101. Do you expect me to state my case, or are you simply interested in speaking to yourself?

[hedgetrimmer]

http://www.alca-ftaa.org/TNC/tnw242_e.asp

[1rudeboy]

You are aware that your link is to a position paper by the government of Venezuela? Do you recall who is in charge of Venezuela right now?

[hedgetrimmer]

What do you think I've been warning everyone about when I talk about the FTAA? It will be implemented under the auspices of the Organizatioof American States.It makes the US an equal voting member with Venezuela. Hugo Chavez, as an official of a member state can run for President of the OAS when it becomes the regional government as specified in the FTAA. The FTAA puts us fully in bed with and in harms way from the communists that run countries like Venezuela. They consider the FTAA and the WTO as tools to use to conquer the "rich" countries like the United States without a shooting war. They consider the FTAA and WTO as tools to subjugate America.

[1rudeboy]

Of course, Hugo Chavez is the region's most vocal opponent of FTAA.

[hedgetrimmer]

Lets discuss the intent and purposes of the FTAA and its affect on the American. Hugo Chavez is play both sides of the fence. His country is a member of the Summit of the Americas the OAS and subscribes to the FTAA or he wouldn't participate in the discussion. His country is also a member of G15 which includes other dictatorships like Zimbabwe and Indonesia, which is working to destroy the economies of the "rich" countries of the world.

If you support "free trade" you are supporting this communist because Venezuela is a fully functioning member of the FTAA and the OAS.

[1rudeboy]

I don't see it that way. I rest easy knowing that Mr. Chavez dreads the thought of a Coke in every fridge, Cargill beef on every grill, a McDonalds at every corner, and a Ford in every driveway.

[RussianConservative]

What we really NEED to do is to revert back to the FAILED "ISOLATIONIST" ways that drove us into depression, and emboldened our enemies to dare think us weak enough to challenge.

Ummm, actually that not correct...US was not trade isolationist and Great Depression was world wide...why Nazies come to power of Wiemar Germany ....all except Soviet Russia, where Stalin close off economy to rest of world...Isolated economies do not Great Depressions make.

[hedgetrimmer]

So you support the United States creating equal economic partnerships with communist dictators which means that the tax dollars of free American citizens must be given away to a communist country to level the infrastructure and economic playing field so that a corporation like Coca Cola can sell its beverages to them?

[1rudeboy]

I believe in American hegemony. Chew on that.

[hedgetrimmer]

Then one can only presume you do not believe in free trade. Because every "free trade" agreement implemented in the last 30 years has put America at disadvantage, subjugated her to communist nations and has thrown away the rights of US citizens.

[Scutter]

ping

[Scutter]

Good post.

[agitator]

What this thread needs is some babytalk from Sowell so the freetrade hacks can feel good about putting this unpleasantness to bed without straining their brains.

[1rudeboy]

Well, that's a switch from the usual "those eeeevil corporations are just using free-trade to hold the common man down" position.

[1rudeboy]

God forbid that someone like Mr. Sowell actually discuss economics, right?

[hedgetrimmer]

Thanks. The unconstitutionality of free trade agreements that exist today is a very cogent point to the discussion.

[Joe Hadenuf]

We were clearly warned about all this global free trade, NAFTA, GATT, crap.

We are now clearly seeing the results of this imposed fraud.