Like NAFTA? Then you'll love the FTAA!

[Deja Q]

www.stopftaa.org

[G_j]

1. FTAA = NAFTA on steroids n/t

[goobergunch]

2. Free Trade Area of the Americas...

think NAFTA for the entire Western Hemisphere. :scared:

[redeye]

3. Any pro-FTAA site?

Unlike 90%+ of DU, I actually like free trade and would rather form my opinion after hearing as many sides as possible rather than after hearing only one side.

[G_j]

4. well, off-hand I can think of at least one

www.whitehouse.gov

[Deja Q]

5. How about a compromise?

Free trade that's regulated so nobody gets screwed by the Corporate Empire just unlike how deregulation, trickle-down, and NAFTA were supposed to be good things too - but weren't.

Sorry, but the way the Corporate Empire wants it, they won't give a fuck if even supporters like you are malnourished in a soup line along with the rest of the world, justsolong as they get their pocketbooks filled with money.

Sorry, but I gave up on being nice on those evil bastards a loooooong time ago. They don't deserve ANY power, regulated or otherwise. And, yes, they are evil. Evil is hardly confined to religious fruitcakes ramming an aeroplane into a big building whose very title reeks of rampant overblown capitalism. (and that is a fair and balanced statement; they were fruitcakes who died for their religion and the building was about capitalism, the "World Trade Center".)

Indeed, I often cry out what you do: Wanting to hear many sides of the issue. But apart from the internet, all of the newspapers, radio commentators, and tv newscasters say the same exact things - almost word for word!

Be grateful we naysayers are around to do REAL informing. From the likes of us are YOU getting many sides of the issue.

The newspapers, radio, tv, et al would hype up and promote FTAA every way they would. So just sit back and wait, what you want to hear will eventually be said. But as the FTAA is mostly behind closed doors right now (just like the Cheney energy meetings...), we won't know until it's too late. Do you want to wait until it's too late to sooth your "personal honor" to agree or disagree with it?! Be proactive, be assertive, look for the answers yourself. Even the pro sites are out there. But we've seen what trickle-down economics did. We've seen what NAFTA has done and it's hurt. If FTAA is being equated even as being 1/10th of NAFTA (people are saying it's 10/1 times worse!), you're damn right I'm going to shout it from a mountaintop!!!

[redeye]

6. I didn't ask for your propaganda

I asked for a link to a pro-FTAA site. I've heard the anti-FTAA position and it didn't really convince me; now I need to hear if what the pro-FTAA side will. I really don't know about you, but I prefer to be rational when it comes to deciding my positions on issues.

[G_j]

7. I don't know

but you might try this one,
www.walmart.com

no offense, I'm just in a very cynical mood. :-)

[redeye]

8. Both of us know that it's not what I'm looking for

I'm looking for the equivalent of stopftaa.org - a site whose main agenda is to make a case for the FTAA. A link to the full text of the FTAA (preferably with an abstract) will also do.

[goobergunch]

9. I'm opposed to FTAA, but here's the links

FTAA official site
FTAA second draft plan

[redeye]

11. Thanks...

...as it seems, the main argument against the FTAA - namely that it is done without the people's consent - is moot because the governments invovled are the people's representatives, plus the people will have had at least 2 elections in each of the countries involved to elect governments opposed to free international trade. The problem here is that many of those countries aren't fully democratic, in which case I indeed oppose international trade, or at least any international trade measure that's not ratified by the people in a free election or by a government elected in a free election.

The argument that it'll cause unemployment is bogus because for every American laid off, a Costa Rican or Chilean will get a job.

That said, my gripes with the FTAA are the following:

a) No redistribution of money from the corproations who benefit from it to the workers; such a redistribution will ensure a win-win situation for both corporations and workers.

b) Emphasis on mobility of money with no mention of mobility of people (IOW, the INS will continue to harass Mexican immigrants).

c) I haven't found any measures to help protect fledgling economies and industries.

[G_j]

13. it's refreshing

that you are willing and interested enough to actually do your own research in order to reach your own perspective. That is pretty rare when it comes to this subject. Sorry if I was overly sarcastic.
:toast:

[Deja Q]

14. Except he had to beg someone else to get the links!!!

Sorry to be harsh...

[G_j]

18. yea I guess

it only takes 5 seconds to type FTAA into Google.

[G_j]

17. there's still a big problem though,

when a group can make decisions behind closed doors which over ride the laws (such as environmental and labor) of countries. That's far from democratic and simply creates a race to the bottom and guarentees exploitation.
The FTAA was not created with the welfare of humanity in mind. It's all about crossing borders to exploit humanity so the rich and powerful can become more so.

[Darranar]

10. I HATE THOSE FOOL GLOBALIZATIONISTS!

Big, multinational corporations that exploit the poor and try to gain rediculous amounts of money by unfair and immoral business practices.

[redeye]

12. I HATE THOSE FOOL SHOUTERS

Big blobs who resort to shouting because they can't win arguments fair and square.

[Deja Q]

15. This is too entertaining!

Today I've found not one but two "moderates" who are pro-corporation!

I love you guys! :loveya:

That's what keeps DU from being an utterly commie pink board! :D

Actually, I really do. If we were all the same around here, with nobody different or aggrevating, it'd be utterly boring.

I apologize, I should have gotten back to you with the links you wanted with a mature attitude instead of getting all political on you.

[JohnKleeb]

16. you wanna know why I dont like it red

I dont like the idea of shipping our jobs overseas, you see a whiles back the country used to manfacutre its own goods and etc. Besides I also worry that the workers overseas will be exploited so the CEO can earn extra bucks, in many of these places there are no laws or they are a lot more lax. Also Ive heard about entire plants, mills, etc being closed down to things like this.