The Washington Post takes the Democrats to the woodshed over CAFTA:
NOBODY IS saying that the proposed free-trade deal with Central America and the Dominican Republic will work miracles. Yes, regional free-trade deals boost prosperity much less than global ones. Yes, free trade by itself is not a wonder cure for Central America’s poverty. And, yes, the deal could cause some dislocation to workers in the United States, though 80 percent of Central America’s exports to the United States are duty-free already. But these legitimate reservations do not change the bottom line: The deal promises important economic and foreign policy advantages. The fact that nearly all Democratic members of the House oppose this bargain — even the traditionally pro-trade New Democrats have come out in opposition — is a depressing sign of the party’s abandonment of Clintonite centrism.
Yeow.
p.lukasiak
The deal promises important economic and foreign policy advantages.
the key word here is “promises”. NAFTA also “promised” the same things, and hasn’t delivered on those promises (and perhaps more importantly, the “promised” funding and programs to allieviate the problems caused by economic dislocation for areas and industries in the US negatively impacted by NAFTA has not been forthcoming.)
Since, as the Post notes, 80% of CA’s exports to the US are already “duty free”, the question of the need for CAFTA is raised. Ultimately, CAFTA’s primary purpose appears to be to allow corporations to even more easily export jobs to low wage workers in CA, and pocket the difference for distribution to stockholders.
Kimmitt
I think that’s the issue — NAFTA only worked because Clinton was serious about compensating losers, and even then it was a wash for us and Canada (Mexico won). With Bush in the White House, there is every reason to expect the details of the treaty to amount to a large corporate giveaway.
Besides, we don’t need a CAFTA to cut our agricultural subsidies. Once we do that, those countries will export to us, love us, and be beholden to us. So let’s just do it.
The Lonewacko Blog
CAFTA is part of a general movement towards – believe it or don’t – turning North America into an EU-style superstate. If you want that, please just move to Belgium.
For some data points, see the post USDA gives loans, grants to Mexican citizens and the links it contains, especially to the USDA transcript where Johanns promotes CAFTA alongside promoting the loans to Mexican nationals.
And, just breaking, see U.S. officials promote programs for Mexican immigrants.