Free Trade Agreements

OPP calls for end to TPP negotiations, No Fast Track Authority for President

Submitted by DavidDelk on Wed, 01/07/2015 - 00:16

OPP calls for end to negotiations of more NAFTA-style trade agreements and no Fast Track Authority for the President

 President Obama has asked for Fast Track Authority to ram more NAFTA-style corporate trade deals through Congress in 2015.  Fast Track Authority and these agreements (WTO, NAFTA, CAFTA, US-So Korea, US-Columbia, US-Israel, etc.) are further manifestation of the continuing corporate assualt on democracy, the People and the environment. These agreements have historically lead to increased trade deficits, job loss, attacks on the environment, declining public health, increasing income and wealth inequalities, and suits by foreign corporations against national governments to negate beneficial changes in public policy, regulations and laws. 

 While these agreements have resulted in job and environmental losses, Americans have received a flow of cheaply made goods manufactured aboard with little concern for the labor or environmental consequences.  Those goods, formerly manufactured in the US, represent low-paid labor input and an ever increasing carbon footprint caused by the long shipping distances.  The United States is increasingly becoming the natural resources source for manufacturing in off-shore plants, so the shipping has to go both ways. 

So, when the President and his largely Republican and corporate-friendly Democratic party allies in Congress now talk about making passage of Fast Track Authority and the Trans Pacific Partnership the number one area of cooperation in the new Congress, we must demand that the President stop negotiating these new agreements and that Congress not grant him Fast Track Authority.

Sen Merkley town hall | community meeting on Trans Pacific Partnership

Submitted by DavidDelk on Mon, 02/20/2012 - 19:56

Two events coming up this Wednesday and both worth attending and participating in.
1. Sen Merkley town hall
2. Town hall on Free Trade Agreements, especially the TransPacific Partnership, aka NAFTA of the Pacific.

3 "Free" Trade Agreements Passed by Congress Today

Submitted by DavidDelk on Wed, 10/12/2011 - 21:29

In what was not a surprise, Congress passed the So. Korea, Panama, and Colombia "Free" trade agreements today in what is being described as a victory for bi-partisanship and the White House.

The votes, in part, were 278 - 151 in the House on the So Korea agreement. In the Senate, the votes were 83-15 So. Korea, 77-22 Panama, and 66-33 Columbia.

Even so, the votes among Democrats in the House was lopsided in opposition. From The Hill, "All three agreements had broad Republican support, while they divided House Democrats. Only 31 Democrats supported the deal with Colombia, while 59 Democrats backed the deal with South Korea and 66 supported the Panama agreement."

3 Free Trade Agreements pushed to Congress | Act Now!

Submitted by DavidDelk on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 22:40

President Obama introduced three NAFTA-style "Free Trade Agreements" into Congress today. These are with Panama, Colombia and So. Korea. These agreements had been negotiated by Pres. Bush, and now, like Pres Clinton did with NAFTA, our Democratic party President is moving these Republican negotiated agreement ahead.

These agreements must be defeated. Each agreement signed using the NAFTA template is another nail in the coffin of democracy. "Free Trade Agreements" allow corporations to sue in secret international trade tribunals when they think that future profits will be threatened. Recently the WTO in two cases ruled against laws passed by the US Congress and signed by the US President . A third decision is pending. The two laws (1) allowed a Dolphin Safe label on canned tuna and (2) restricted the import of clove flavored cigarettes. The cigarette restriction was enacted as clove cigarettes are regarded as an entry-level cigarette to hook young people on smoking.

Such rulings on the part of the WTO undermine our democractic processes; they steal our sovereignty. We cannot pass more of these agreements and still call ourselves a self-governing people.

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