NAFTA At 20: “A Vehicle To Increase Profits At The Expense Of Democracy”

[unhappycamper]

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2014/03/28-1

NAFTA At 20: “A Vehicle To Increase Profits At The Expense Of Democracy”
by Dave Johnson
Published on Friday, March 28, 2014 by Campaign for America's Future Blog

Thursday the AFL-CIO released a new report, NAFTA at 20. The report makes the point that, “On the whole, NAFTA-style agreements have proved to be primarily a vehicle to increase corporate profits at the expense of workers, consumers, farmers, communities, the environment and even democracy itself.”



In a press release accompanying the report AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka says that working people and democratic governance on all sides of NAFTA’s borders are now worse off, and Congress should recognize this before approving any more “NAFTA-style” trade agreements.

“There is no success story for workers to be found in North America 20 years after NAFTA,” said Trumka. “The NAFTA model focuses on lifting corporations out of reach of democratic governance, rather than solely reducing tariffs. This report should serve as a cautionary tale to the Obama Administration and Congress as they consider negotiating and implementing new trade deals.”

Trade Agreements Should Stop Following The NAFTA Model

Preceding the report, Trumka gave a major speech on trade at the Center for American Progress. He talked about the history of “a disastrous, outdated, failed model of global economic policies.” He said that trade agreements should abandon the NAFTA model and instead offer a “global new deal … to bring the basic infrastructure of modern society—electricity, water, schools, roads, internet access—to everyone on Earth.”

[Laelth]

1. k&r for the truth, however depressing it may be. n/t

-Laelth

[antigop]

2. thank you, Bill Clinton!!!! nt