Bolivian president-elect joins Chávez in rejecting free trade

AP via the Houston Chronicle ^ | January 3, 2006 | Christopher Toothaker

[1rudeboy]

Another "true conservative patriot" steps-up to the plate against the evil, globalist socialists and the transnational corporations they represent.

[1rudeboy]

ping

[facedown]

Right on, Comrade.

[tet68]

The legacy of Jimmy Carter lives on.

[edcoil]

I want FAIR trade, not FREE trade.

Big Difference.

[spyone]

9 governmental elections in Central and South America this year. The left is expected to increase their strength in all of them. Not a good trend.

[Thunder90]

Don't forget that Chavez and Co. are also scheduled to go to Russia to get weapons and ideological backing.

[Thunder90]

Blame our "Friends" from Russia and China.

[Hawk1976]

I am not opposed to free trade in principle. Regarding that it means that tariff's between countries are lifted with the only requirements relating to the health standards of any goods entering the country. I will always support that.

Free Trade as espoused by NAFTA, CAFTA, and FTAA is not "free trade" as much as it is about setting up extra-governmental controls. These agreements are nothing more than leftists on the United States working with other leftists outside the United States to bind us to laws we would never agree to otherwise. I oppose this model of "free trade" as much as I oppose Kyoto. They are just as bad and perhaps even more insidious as they hide behind a banner that most people will usually support.

[Tyche]

Spy

An example of Chavez spreading his influence to the Caribbean area.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/html/20060102t230000-0500_95862_obs_chavez_to_lend____b.asp

Look for that to happen more in the future.

[spyone]

Yes, he's spreading the money all over the continent. Bought hundreds of millions of Argentina bonds etc. etc. About 2 months ago I subscribed to Google news alerts, subject Venezuala. A real eye opener to see what a dangerous fellow Chavez is. Yesterday, he referred to Jews as Christ killers.

[marron]

The companies that are invested there are about to lose, bit time.

The people themselves already lost, when they backed down from Morales' mobs.

They are talking secession, but if they didn't have the nerve to fight Morales when he was just a thug, they aren't going to have the nerve to fight him once he's installed in the presidential palace.

[old republic]

NAFTA and CAFTA wreak of giving up our Sovereignty to extra-governmental controls. These treaties seem very leftist but the ironic thing is that the Republicans supported both of them. In fact heavy armed tactics were used in the House to pass CAFTA. When the vote was going to fail, the Speaker of the House extended the vote from 15 mins to three hours until they were able to finally get an Representative to change their vote. The Democrats ironically were the ones trying to stop the bill. CAFTA should be repealed.

[1rudeboy]

The United States has never lost a decision or paid a penny under an investor-state arbitration panel under NAFTA or any other international trade or investment agreement. Moreover, if a panel ever did rule against the United States, it would have no authority to order the government to modify any law, regulation or practice. See CAFTA Article 10.26.1 (limiting awards to monetary damages and restitution of property only).

Source: Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (.pdf file)

[Tailgunner Joe]

But the libertarians told me that cocaine should be legal because that's free trade. Are you telling me that it's actually red communists who want cocaine to be legal?

[1rudeboy]

You'll have to ask a libertarian.

[AmishDude]

Don't discount the whole "USA as the big, bad bogeyman" technique. When you live in a hopeless, corrupt, poverty-stricken society, it's easier to blame somebody else for keeping you down.

[Brilliant]

It makes perfect sense to me. He opposes free trade because he wants to discourage any business that competes with the narcotics racket he's running.

[Tailgunner Joe]

Wow, that really does explain it. Does that mean that protectionists also oppose free trade because they want stop any competition with their corrupt mafia-run unions?