2006-12-10

NAFTA/FTAA or the AMERICAS?


That is our choice. Are we to choose investor agreements (masquarading as trade agreements) which benefit 1% of the population of the Americas or will we choose another economic alternative that benefits 99% of the Americas.

Given the sweeping changes occuring in Latin America on an almost weekly basis, with former adherents to neoliberalism being driven from office and replaced with presidents and parties who believe that "another America is possible", is it time for Economic Democrats, accross the Americas, to join forces and put their cards on the table by facing up to the fact that we must scrap NAFTA.

Anti Neoliberal-Globalization Activist Naomi Klein thinks that Canada must step up to the plate and rejoin the Americas:

Naomi Klein: Scrap NAFTA, rejoin the Americas

But here at Economic Democracy, our goal isn't to just point out that the Emperor has no clothes, we seek alternatives and solutions. So here is an alternative to the FTAA proposed by the Venezuelan government that may inspire those of us in the North:

ALBA: the Bolivarian Alternative for Latin America and the Caribbean?

For more information see the ALBA website (en español)




| Tom Vouloumanos



COMMENTAIRES

What we need is a solidaristic relationship between the countries of the Americas. Not the sort of neo-mercantilist parasitism which you find with NAFTA. Definitely we must tear up NAFTA and if an ALBA-like form of cooperation can evolve this would help further economic democracy, rather than the present authoritarian corporatism.

Par Larry Gambone le 2006-12-12 20:02

I don't know a whole lot about ALBA, but yes, NAFTA, and the current conception of SPP needs to be replaced, and if not replaced then there needs to be a "bill of rights" included in it for workers, families and communities. Furthermore there needs to be elected oversight over the NAFTA treaty, perhaps in the form of the North American Parliamentary Union proposed by Joe CoMartin, David Bonior and Carlos Heredia Zubierta.

Par Alan Avans le 2006-12-14 05:14



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