Free Republic

Robert B. Zoellick, Deputy Secretary of State United States Embassy Brasília, Brazil October 6, 2005 DEPUTY SECRETARY ZOELLICK:Okay, well thanks for taking the time to come by. Let me just make a few opening comments about the purpose of my visit and then we will just open it up to questions. This primarily is an opportunity for me to consult with a close and important partner of the United States. I've been to Brazil a number of times before, I obviously see Brazilian officials regularly Celso Amorim was in Washington just about a week ago. But it gives me an...

MAR DEL PLATA/BARILOCHE, ARGENTINA. 4-5 Nov 2005. The theme for the heads of state and government of the Western Hemisphere’s democracies at the Sixth Summit of the Americas is, "Creating Employment to Confront Poverty and Strengthen Democratic Governance." It sounds new, but it restates the aims of the Free Trade Area of the Americas – to create greater prosperity for nearly 800 million people in 34 countries of the hemisphere – a pact that has missed its Jan 1 2005 target date.The choice of the theme suggests that the summit will tackle issues that are holding up talks about the...

Communism is not dead in Latin America. In fact, the dominoes are falling south of the border, but no one seems to be noticing. “It’s a new day. Communism is dead. It’s even dead in Cuba.” So declared Senator Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing in May 2002. “I hate to say it,” she continued, “it’s dead.” The senator’s proclamation was a surprise, no doubt, to Fidel Castro, whose regime was (and is) alive and as Red as ever. It also must have come as welcome news to the people of Cuba, still suffering, after nearly half...

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...

The burden of socialist regulations here at home, not corporate greed or even low foreign wages, is the single most important factor driving U.S. manufacturing jobs abroad.In December, as the Dow crested 10,000 for the first time in over a year and major retailers came under siege by Christmas shoppers, recovery seemed to be at hand. But looming behind these glad tidings was the specter of "outsourcing" as U.S. companies, seeking to cut costs, send well paying jobs in manufacturing and technology abroad. While it’s true that the economy has created many new jobs, for the most part they pay...