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Farmers Threaten To Block US-Mexico Border Crossings [NAFTA]
Voice of America News ^ | Dec. 28, 2002 | AP, AFP and Reuters

Posted on 12/28/2002 7:10:41 AM PST by madfly

Angry Mexican farmers are threatening to block U.S.-Mexico border crossings on New Year's Day to protest the lifting of tariffs on agricultural products under free trade rules.

The farmers say they fear they will not be able to compete with U.S. and Canadian producers when tariffs are removed on January 1 as part of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

The farmers and their supporters are calling on the Mexican government to do more to protect the agricultural sector.

President Vicente Fox refuses to re-negotiate the free trade agreement, but he has pledged to help the farmers compete with the United States and Canada.

Some information for this report provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.



TOPICS: Breaking News; Business/Economy; Foreign Affairs; Government; Mexico; US: Arizona; US: California; US: New Mexico; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: borders; fox; freetrade; nafta; tariffs
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To: Missouri
Check, that should be reply #151.
181 posted on 12/28/2002 7:47:48 PM PST by Ben Ficklin
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To: RnMomof7
... why pay Americans to unload ships when you can get Mexicans to do it for a dollar a day...

Think that this was part of the reason that the longshoreman went on strike several months back?

182 posted on 12/28/2002 7:48:10 PM PST by forester
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To: Ben Ficklin
The poll I linked to is consistent with other polls I have seen on the subject of immigration. In fact, the 70% who spoke against illegal immigration is actually on the lower side of most polls that show a higher ratio than that, as high as 80% or more. FR just ran a poll, a total of 81% said the borders need to be closed. Are you saying the people on this forum are biased and not representative of the country?

You know the vast majority of people are against illegal immigration, there's no trying to manipulate it. In 1994 the people of California overwhelmingly voted for Prop 187 and made their feelings known.

You're free to believe otherwise, but then you'd be in denial wouldn't you?

183 posted on 12/28/2002 8:01:18 PM PST by Reaganwuzthebest
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To: RnMomof7
It will be too late...

We're getting there, another 5 to 10 years at most if we stay on the present course.

184 posted on 12/28/2002 8:04:37 PM PST by Reaganwuzthebest
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To: Ben Ficklin
Thank you for the link. It's amazing how many people choose to ignore how NAFTA became a reality.

Reagan did not get my vote for his 2nd term as president. From then on, after learning of his "Kitchen Cabinet's" advice, I have been registered as an Independent voter, though I actually vote Republican or skip that chad.

As governor of California, he closed vital hospitals for the mentally ill, saying it was too expensive.

I'm none too thrilled with Bush, either. Will not vote for him again. A war with Iraq has nothing to do with it.

185 posted on 12/28/2002 8:52:36 PM PST by lakey
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To: 1rudeboy
The worst of logical fallacies. Let me ask you this, if more high-paying jobs went south of the border because of NAFTA, then why are more people entering the U.S. in search of high-paying jobs? You can't have it both ways.

You just don't understand what's going on. NAFTA was supposed to create disincentives for illegal immigration with better paying jobs in Mexico through American investment. It hasn't quite worked out this way. American companies in Mexico are primarily concerned with keeping wages as LOW as possible, lest they become uncompetitive with the slave labor from countries like China.

Given that most of our companies are concentrated within a few miles of the border, millions of Mexicans in the southern region of Mexico have moved to Northern Mexico. This has made it all the easier for them to become familiar with America's lax immigration control and cross our border in search of more money. With the added draw of welfare i.e. free medical care, subsidized schooling, housing etc. there is a tremendous economic incentive for Mexicans to enter America illegally.

The only true beneficiaries of NAFTA are the business owners of the transplanted companies there, the domestic companies that benefit from the flow of illegals that the treaty encourages with closer ties to the U.S. and the politicians they pay off.

Like I said before, how much economic sense does it make to sign trade agreements with backward, corrupt 3rd world nations? I ask you: would you do business with someone that you knew was corrupt to the core? If you don't think this accurately describes Mexico I don't know what else to say.

186 posted on 12/28/2002 9:36:34 PM PST by WRhine
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To: forester
Think that this was part of the reason that the longshoreman went on strike several months back?

That strike was about the new tech elimating SOME jobs ..so they were looking for some "job protection" from the machinery..but is the norm with union a little more in the paycheck of the workers silenced that I think

I do not believe the dockers have seriously considered that the good times are over for them..(they were the only ones to benefit from free trade,,unloading all the China stuff)...soon their jobs will move south and they will join the rest of the nation on the unemployment line...

187 posted on 12/29/2002 4:58:19 AM PST by RnMomof7
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To: lakey
I'm none too thrilled with Bush, either. Will not vote for him again. A war with Iraq has nothing to do with it.

Me either..quite frankly I think the war is a diversion..and nothing more..the IMPORTANT work is the making of USA Banana republic...and as a side note letting the only ones that will really oppose the New World Order the Muslims (as they want a theocracy) know that if they are not careful they will have nothing...

This is all about power not nationalism..

188 posted on 12/29/2002 5:04:43 AM PST by RnMomof7
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Comment #189 Removed by Moderator

Comment #190 Removed by Moderator

Comment #191 Removed by Moderator

To: Stoner
I think we are just beginning to see the consequences of our 'misdirection' and they will become clearer in the near future.

It just seems the monster has too many heads, we do we start?

192 posted on 12/29/2002 8:39:09 AM PST by nanny
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To: MissAmericanPie
While the USofA is hearing a huge sucking sound of manufacturing leaving an a huge sucking sound of illegal immigrants entering.

So true.

193 posted on 12/29/2002 8:43:42 AM PST by nanny
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To: Reaganwuzthebest
You're free to believe otherwise, but then you'd be in denial wouldn't you?

(sarcasm) You know how it goes - 'Document It', "prove it", 'well it happened there by what makes y ou think it happened elsewhere' 'just because you saw it' - and on and on.

194 posted on 12/29/2002 8:49:06 AM PST by nanny
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To: madfly
Angry Mexican farmers are threatening to block U.S.-Mexico border crossings

How are they going to do that? throw sticks.

195 posted on 12/29/2002 8:56:23 AM PST by thepitts
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To: Ben Ficklin
And they don't go to be unemployed.

I have seen first hand exactly how wrong and untrue this statement is.

196 posted on 12/29/2002 9:04:09 AM PST by thepitts
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To: nanny
You know how it goes - 'Document It', "prove it", 'well it happened there by what makes you think it happened elsewhere' 'just because you saw it' - and on and on.

Yeah let's not cloud our judgement with reality, sometimes the eyes can be deceiving after all.

And I thought Clinton was the one who played the "is" is game.

197 posted on 12/29/2002 10:03:10 AM PST by Reaganwuzthebest
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To: forester
For one their irrigation water in many places was diverted to the maquilas, they are watching their farms wither away and the government has supported measures to destroy the farmers. You can see first hand what were once very fertile farmlands outside Ciudad Juarez that are now dried up ---and yet just on the American side the farmlands are still green ---irrigation was always necessary but the Mexican government decided to send the water to the maquilas instead. The article Guerra Contra El Campo explains Salinas's goals and Fox is certainly continuing with them. Fox even went so far as to brag about the "survival kits" his government was preparing for the Mexicans leaving to the US.
198 posted on 12/29/2002 2:05:27 PM PST by FITZ
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To: madfly
It looks like the farmers have called off the border blockade at least for now.

http://www.eldiariodechihuahua.com.mx/edicion/articulo/portada/notas/nota2.html Suspenden campesinos acciones de protesta

http://www.univision.com/content/content.jhtml?chid=3&schid=181&secid=0&cid=180722 Campesinos desisten de bloqueo carretero

199 posted on 12/29/2002 2:23:36 PM PST by FITZ
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To: FITZ
Thanks for the news.
200 posted on 12/29/2002 2:46:20 PM PST by madfly
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