US bishops urge Congress to evaluate free-trade agreement with moral crite

[The Straight Story]

US bishops urge Congress to evaluate free-trade agreement with moral criteria

Washington DC, May. 06, 2005 (CNA) - The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and Catholic Relief Services (CRS) are urging Congress to evaluate the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) based on moral criteria.

CAFTA is a trade and investment agreement negotiated between the United States and six Central American and Caribbean countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic.

President George W. Bush is expected to ask Congress approve CAFTA in May.

The U.S. bishops and CRS stated that they do not officially support or oppose CAFTA, but they recognize that certain moral questions about the impact of trade agreements on people’s lives are generally not part of debate in developing agreements like this one.

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=3825

[CatholicEdHead]

1. This has gotton little to no press

in Catholic circles. Many of the ultra-traditionlists are often hard-core "free-trade" Republicans.

[Dcitizen]

2. Economics or religion?

Domestic economics no, Christian yes. Free trade is the shifting of wealth. The growth of other countries is the lose of both capitalists and workers here. The lose of income from workers will decrease the aggregate price in market equilibrium with or without imports factor. Sooner or later, there are more rules and regulations of protection as adjustment like pharmacy industry. However, they all are same Christian just like a part of the whole body.

[Tux]

3. I support CAFTA

Central American Fair Trade Agreement

More we support fair trade, the better lives people will have in other nations and we get to keep our jobs.