The Constitution under attack. What is the FTAA?

Free Trade Area of the Americas ^ | ongoing | FTAA

[backtothestreets]

The Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) would be the campaign issue of this election if either party did not endorse it.  The effect of this accord will make our Constitution bow to this international body.  The original deadline of May 2004 was purposely and deliberately changed to Jan 2005, after our elections.

"We direct our Ministers to ensure that negotiations of the FTAA Agreement are concluded no later than January 2005 and to seek its entry into force as soon as possible thereafter, but in any case, no later than December 2005."

SOURCE: Deadline

"We have a great vision before us: a fully democratic hemisphere, bound together by good will and free trade.  That is a tall order.  It is also the chance of a lifetime.  And it is the responsibility we share."

President George W. Bush
April 21, 2001

"Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA):  The FTAA will extend the benefits of free trade to countries throughout the Hemisphere.  When completed, the FTAA will be the largest free trade area in the world, with a combined GDP of more that $10 trillion and 800 million people.  The Bush Administration is committed to concluding FTAA negotiations by January 2005 and to implement the agreement no later than December 2005.  The President will seek Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) from the U.S. Congress to enable his Administration to negotiate trade agreements more easily."

SOURCE:  Fact Sheet President's Speech at the Summit of the Americas

"President Bush and the other Leaders welcomed recent progress made on the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) at the November, 2003 FTAA Ministerial in Miami, endorsed the Miami framework, and reaffirmed the agreed timetable of completing negotiations by January 2005."  January 13, 2004

SOURCE:  WHITE HOUSE FACT SHEET

[CyberAnt]

"allow for the issuing of driver's licenses to all citizens of the 33 other American nations, extend Social Security, welfare, medical and education benefits to millions"

Can you quote me chapter and verse of the FTAA which provides for these things ..?? I don't recall seeing anything about this.

[henderson field]

This "super state."
Who will be its president?
To whom will this president and his staff be accountable?
What say will I have in the conduct of national affairs?

[hedgetrimmer]

no its not what "free trade does". Its what managed trade in a command economy does, like the socialist soviet republic or the soviet european union.

[hedgetrimmer]

They've already created a parliamentary body and a governing body, the Summit of the Americas and the Organization of American States, which has acted very much like a governing body(AKA the UN) in the case of Haiti and of Venezuela, by sending Carter in to monitor those elections.

The OAS was the brainchild of Nelson Rockefeller and now support by David Rockefeller through the Council of the Americas-- which is an NGO exsquisitely purposed to pressure Congress and the presdident into willingly signing away our sovereignty-- for the sake of an 800 millioin person trade area known as the Western Hemispheric Trade Area.

Now the OAS isn't the UN but they take their walking papers from and report to the UN. All the trade areas are considered principle organizations of the UN. Areas such as the EU, ASEAN, OAS etc. etc.

[hedgetrimmer]

They are in the Summit of the Americas agreements. The free passage of migrants in and out of the United States was initiated by Regional Conference on migration hosted by the US state department.

In that conference, in 2000 They discussed how migrants could move freely into the US, what to do about remittances,and other types of advocay.

When you see terms like creating "frameworks", creating "working groups", creating "plans of actions" you know the UN is tutoring the groups involved. It is their socialist modus operandi.

ONGUSA Plan

Read the page and you can see what they have dealt with already and what they are working on, to foist on the American people.




These are not our legislators, but they are making migration policy for us, which is another unconstitutional aspect of the FTAA

[hedgetrimmer]

In 2001 some in Congress were already worried about the lack of "transparency" and the obvious usurpation of congressional authority:

The Honorable William J. Clinton
President
White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear President Clinton:

We have been encouraged by your Administration's statements in support of increased transparency in the World Trade Organization (WTO). In an October 10, 2000, press release, Ambassador Barshefsky said, "Given the increasing prominence that trade and trade agreements play in the global economy, it is critical that WTO Members immediately improve their communications with the public." She went on to say, "To ensure that they do, we will continue to push for the early release of documents and decisions, which are essential to improving public understanding and support of the WTO's work."

We couldn't agree more with Ambassador Barshefsky, which is why we are writing to encourage you to apply this same principle of openness to the ongoing negotiations of a Free Trade Agreement of the Americas (FTAA).

It is our understanding that negotiations on the FTAA are advancing quickly. Beginning with the Santiago Summit in April 1998, a Trade Negotiations Committee (TNC) was established and nine working groups were set up to negotiate on agriculture, services, investment, dispute settlement, intellectual property rights, subsidies and anti-dumping, competition policy, government procurement and market access. Working groups on labor and the environment were specifically rejected at the Santiago Summit.

While it is difficult to get firm information due to the secrecy surrounding the negotiations, journalists and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have been informed by other countries' FTAA negotiators that a draft ("bracketed") text will be ready by the end of this year. We understand FTAA negotiators intend to launch the writing of the final text at the next ministerial meeting in Quebec City in April 2001.

From the texts that other countries' negotiators have given to NGOs and from reports by the negotiators, it appears the FTAA is modeled on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Given the broad scope of this approach, and the controversy of NAFTA's investment provisions, the Congress and the U.S. public cannot be left uninformed. As you know, Article II, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution gives Congress exclusive authority to "regulate Commerce with foreign nations." Consistent with this authority, and to remedy the oversight of not including Congress previously, we ask that you:

Immediately publish all working papers, memoranda, and other text from each of the nine working groups and make the text available to Members of Congress,

Transmit to Congress any additional text or text revisions that become available prior to April 2001 and thereafter,

Provide Members of Congress with a list of the U.S. representatives to the nine working groups in order to promote a more direct dialogue, and

Consistent with your Administration's pledge of transparency, make available to NGOs and the American public through the USTR public reading room and on the USTR's web site all of these materials.
Your Administration has spoken about the need to enhance public support and build a consensus for open trade. This is not going to happen unless the negotiations that lead to such free trade agreements are themselves open. As proven time and time again, the American public and, indeed, citizens around the globe, will no longer tolerate trade agreements dictated to them through secret negotiations.

Members of Congress and the American public deserve at least the same access to the FTAA text that is granted to the more than 500 corporate representatives providing guidance on the negotiations through the trade advisory committee system. In the past, trade policy concerned setting tariffs and quotas, which were primarily of interest to industry. However, as today's international commercial agreements impact much broader areas of public policy, including the environment, consumer and worker safety, and a vast array of domestic regulatory standards, the public and America's congressional representatives have a greater need to see what is being negotiated and have meaningful input into the outcome.

Through making public all draft documents concerning the FTAA, you would demonstrate through deed, rather than just words, that the U.S. government is serious about promoting transparency and openness through globalization.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. We look forward to your prompt reply.

Sincerely,



Pete DeFazio

[niki]

Can you quote me chapter and verse of the FTAA which provides for these things ..?? I don't recall seeing anything about this.

Here is some of the information on health.

---

Health Mandates

Recognizing that good physical and mental health is essential for a productive and fulfilling life, and that equitable access to quality health services is a critical element in the development of democratic societies, the Heads of State and Government of the Americas affirmed their commitment to support health actions in the Hemisphere as an important component of the Summit Process. In support of this commitment, hemispheric leaders addressed health issues at the Summits of the Americas in the following ways:

Read the more here:
http://www.summit-americas.org/Quebec-Health/health-eng.htm

---

1994 Summit
Equitable Access to Basic Health Services

Despite impressive gains in the Hemisphere, limitations on health services access and quality have resulted in persistently high child and maternal mortality, particularly among the rural poor and indigenous groups.

Governments will:

Endorse the maternal and child health objectives of the 1990 World Summit for Children, the 1994 Nari¤o Accord and the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development, and reaffirm their commitment to reduce child mortality by one-third and maternal mortality by one-half from 1990 levels by the year 2000.

Endorse a basic package of clinical, preventive and public health services consistent with World Health Organization, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and World Bank recommendations and with the Program of Action agreed to at the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development. The package will address child, maternal and reproductive health interventions, including prenatal, delivery and postnatal care, family planning information and services, and HIV/AIDS prevention, as well as immunizations and programs combating the other major causes of infant mortality. The plans and programs will be developed according to a mechanism to be decided upon by each country. ...

Read more here:
http://www.summit-americas.org/miamiplan.htm#17

---

1998 Summit
Health Technologies

Governments will:

- Seek, through public and private efforts, or partnerships between them, to enhance the availability, access to, and quality of drugs and vaccines, especially for the most needy, by promoting efforts to safeguard the quality, rational selection and use, safety and efficacy of pharmaceutical products, with special emphasis on vital and essential drugs; and by supporting regional initiatives that by the year 2002 will facilitate research, development, production and utilization of vaccines, which will reduce the incidence of diseases, such as pneumonia, meningitis, measles, rubella and mumps.
...

Read more here: http://www.summit-americas.org/chileplan.htm#Health%20Technologies

---

2001 Summit
...; that the enjoyment of the highest standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition, as set forth in the Constitution of the World Health Organization; that gender equality and concern for indigenous peoples, children, the elderly and under-served groups must be of paramount concern in the development of health policy; that health outcomes are affected by physical, social, economic and political factors and that the technical cooperation of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and other relevant international organizations should continue to support health actions in the Hemisphere, in a manner consistent with the Shared Agenda for Health in the Americas signed by PAHO, the IDB, and the World Bank:
...

Read more here: http://www.summit-americas.org/Documents%20for%20Quebec%20City%20Summit/planofaction-template-eng.htm#Health

---

Declaration of Nuevo León (special Summit 2004)
Page 7
We emphasize that one of the pillars of human development and national progress is social protection for health and, accordingly, we will continue to broaden our prevention, care, and promotion strategies as well as investment in this field in an effort to provide quality health care for all and to improve, to the extent possible, social protection for all people, with a particular focus on the most vulnerable segments of society.
...

Read more here: http://www.summit-americas.org/SpecialSummit/Declarations/Declaration%20of%20Nuevo%20Leon%20-%20final.pdf

---

About Free Trade of the Americas
http://www.alca-ftaa.org/View_e.asp

The effort to unite the economies of the Americas into a single free trade area began at the Summit of the Americas, which was held in December 1994 in Miami, U.S.A. The Heads of State and Government of the 34 democracies in the region agreed to construct a Free Trade Area of the Americas, or FTAA, in which barriers to trade and investment will be progressively eliminated. They agreed to complete negotiations towards this agreement by the year 2005 and to achieve substantial progress toward building the FTAA by 2000. The Heads of State and Government further directed their ministers responsible for trade to take a series of concrete initial steps to achieve the Free Trade Area of the Americas. Their decisions regarding these steps are contained in the Miami Summit's Declaration of Principles and Plan of Action.

Read more here: http://www.alca-ftaa.org/View_e.asp

[backtothestreets]

"Can you quote me chapter and verse of the FTAA which provides for these things ..?? I don't recall seeing anything about this."

There are numerous references within the FTAA website.  Example:

"Land Transportation Standards Subcommittee (LTSS):

Drivers and Vehicle Standards and Compliance

Additionally, the proposed labor laws will make driver licensing comply with the FTAA agreements.

[CyberAnt]

As condensed as possible .. what are your objections to the FTAA .. or dangers as you see them ..??

[A. Pole]

"Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA): The FTAA will extend the benefits of free trade to countries throughout the Hemisphere. When completed, the FTAA will be the largest free trade area in the world, with a combined GDP of more that $10 trillion and 800 million people. The Bush Administration is committed to concluding FTAA negotiations by January 2005 and to implement the agreement no later than December 2005. The President will seek Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) from the U.S. Congress to enable his Administration to negotiate trade agreements more easily."

SOURCE: Fact Sheet President's Speech at the Summit of the Americas

Clinton's policy continued in bipartisan fashion.

[Ed_in_NJ]

bttt

[ninenot]

Under the Constitution, treaties are NOT reviewed by the Supremes--they are, instead, treated as the law of the land.

The term "free trade" is pasted onto the documents to whitewash the reality.

Most people in the USA do not know that the UN has established a number of Global Heritage Zones (or some such jabber) which are UN protected ecological zones. Development in these zones is restricted by treaty.

So if you wish to build a house in one of these Zones, on property you already have as an 'in-holder,' you are likely to encounter opposition from (say) the Forest Service.

But the Forest Service wrote the rules on development based on the UN-treaty language establishing and protecting these "zones." Thus, for practical purposes, you will never know that it is a UN treaty which deprived you of your rights.

See Newsmax.com and search about a bit on their site. One of their editorialists has been on this for years...

[ninenot]

Watch the EU.

Brusssels is the HQ of the EU and has all sorts of stupid ideas which it is attempting to force down the throats of Europeans.

England is resisting some of them, to her credit.

[ninenot]

Time to buy another case or two of ammo. Maybe even an "assault rifle" (in about 7 days, God willing.)

[searchandrecovery]

Legislation without representation.

[pageonetoo]

But the Forest Service wrote the rules on development based on the UN-treaty language establishing and protecting these "zones." Thus, for practical purposes, you will never know that it is a UN treaty which deprived you of your rights.

In Berkeley County, WV, they only initiated Building Codes and Inspections last year. They adopted the "International Building Code" as their standard. It includes ALL of the KYOTO mandates! Idiots and Internationalists are everywhere

In order to get a building permit, you must declare all of the energy stats on windows, doors, etc, and are banned from exceeding a certain amount of window area. Like on the California coasts, the people will pay big money for mountain views!

They don't care if it costs a zillion dollars to heat it, they can afford it, and want the view! These wackos are jealous, and want to stop it!!!

[ninenot]

You get the idea...

[maui_hawaii]

I think FTAs including FTAA could be a good deal and won't do what you say regarding borders etc.

Erasing the borders etc isn't even an effect of FTAA.

Most people can't explain what an FTA actually is designed to do...or why we even have them...

[George Frm Br00klyn Park]

"That is not what free trade does."

AW, You're right! Why then does this "new" "free" trade agreement do this? Why are U.S. citizens being subjected to "equality" in this hemesphere. The deliberate socializing of America. And, I STILL won't be able to sell my booze to other countries and import aspirin for sale without a government approved permit or license. Free trade my ass. Peace and love, George.

[DoughtyOne]

We can already trade with anyone we wish. Bush is just another pack mule for those seeking to ship sovereignty out of the United States.