The talk turns to trade among primary candidates

By DENIS PAISTE
Union Leader Staff
FROM DENNIS Kucinich’s call for canceling
U.S. participation in NAFTA and the WTO to
other Democratic candidates calls for reviews of
all U.S. trade agreements, Democratic
presidential primary candidates are expounding
the issue of foreign trade on the campaign trail.
Several candidates, including Retired U.S. Army
Gen. Wesley Clark and U.S. Sen. John F. Kerry
of Massachusetts have said they would order an
immediate review of all existing U.S. trade
agreements upon coming into office.
snip
“The biggest trade issue is the disappearance of American manufacturing jobs because
NAFTA and the WTO failed to take into consideration global worker rights. They just
globalized corporations’ rights,” former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean said in a telephone
interview.
snip
Kucinich has taken perhaps the most radical stance among the major Democratic
candidates. He’d immediately withdraw from the North American Free Trade
Agreement and the World Trade Organization.

more here

Fairly balanced article with info from ALL primary candidates (excepting Sharpton/Mosely-Braun). Good to see the Dem candidates views represented without the usual attacks, misquotes, fawning statements of the GOP, etc. And all of their policies sound better than what we've got now.

(posted earlier in GD04 with broken link, where it died a merciful death and sank to the bottom of the cesspool. revived here.)

peace,
dp

As long as that clause is in there that allows STOCKHOLDERS to sue if their company will be damaged by stopping buying something, NAFTA will be a firey tire around the neck of the U. S. NAFTA CAN'T BE FIXED. It must be repealed.

CA people must remember when the state wanted to ban MTBE, the gasoline additive, because it was polluting CA water supplies. Under NAFTA, stockholders of the company that madakes MTBE sued California for $$millions, because their investment would be harmed by CA environmental laws.

Bi-lateral trade that benefits both countries, and doesn't devastate the workers and the environment of both countries, is the ONLY way.

Kucinich and Gephart are the only ones who see this.

Checking...

"BILL MOYERS: On March 25, 1999, California's governor ordered that MTBE be phased out of all gasoline sold in the state.

But that order didn't sit well with Methanex – a Canadian company that is the world's largest producer of the key ingredient in MTBE. Within months, Methanex invoked Chapter Eleven and claimed that its market share, and therefore its future profits, were being taken away – expropriated – by the governor's action. Allow us to sell MTBE for gasoline in California, the company argued – or pay us $970 million dollars in compensation."

link

more...

Any Mississippi taxpayers here? You'll be very interested in this case, then, because your tax dollars are also being given to profiteers capitalizing on Chapter 11 of NAFTA:


"HON. JAMES GRAVES (PRESIDING JUDGE, O'KEEFE V. LOEWEN): It is understandable that someone would feel aggrieved by a jury's verdict. But if there's a judgment rendered by a trial court and if the appellate court affirms it – and you appeal that and ultimately get to the United States Supreme Court and they hear it, they affirm it – that's kind of it. And, I mean, little kids know, United States Supreme Court – that's the last word.

BILL MOYERS: Instead of appealing the jury's decision, the Loewen Group settled with O'Keefe for $175 million – a third of the original award. But three years later – using NAFTA – the company struck back. Contending that the Mississippi trial was "infected" by appeals to the jury's anti-Canadian and racial bias, the corporation filed a Chapter Eleven claim. Loewen is asking for $725 million from American taxpayers – $550 million more than it had paid O'Keefe."

Sez she, hitting head against wall:argh:

Are we really into the same-o, same-o that is killing us, and devastating environments and workers around the world?

and there are plenty of those kind here at DU, these days. :( :(

it was a nice, stolidly calm and peaceful place for awhile.

:(

dp

:evilgrin:

(no, I'm not really lauding the idea, I'm only being cynical)

and eventually everyone will run to another to muck with, nuked, another..laughed out, another, etc.
and eventually they'll all end up in the gun dungeon.

gods help them then.
dp