In Support of Free Trade For Argentina
The Summit of the Americas has come to an end, Bush has gone back home, and things are getting back to normal here. The summit produced virtually no results, with Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, and a few other countries refusing to set a date to resume discussions on the Free Trade Area of the Americas. Meanwhile, the FTAA is being championed by the USA, Mexico, Panama, and a number of other countries. In fact, Bush left the summit and went to visit Panama to discuss a bilateral free trade agreement afterwards, since the FTAA seems to be going nowhere.
Despite what everyone says about Bush, he's right on free trade. Free trade is not some "yanqui" imperialist plan to control the world. It's about creating jobs, growing economies, and making everybody more wealthy. Look at the two people at the summit that were most vocally opposing free trade -- Diego Maradona, the Argentine soccer star, and Hugo Chávez, the President of Venezuela.
Maradona became rich by exporting his services as a player to clubs in Spain and Italy. Imagine where the soccer world would be without the international movement of players. Venezuela is currently awash in money from selling its oil on the global market. The global oil market is financing Chávez' pursuit of his socialist agenda at home. Both of these men benefited from global trade, but somehow what's good for them can't be good for the rest of Latin America?
At the summit, Argentina threw away an opportunity to really press Bush on actual free trade. In the last few weeks, Bush made a bold proposal to cut Agricultural subsidies as a bid to restart WTO trade talks, which would have allowed farmers and ranchers in Argentina and throughout Latin America to compete in the world's largest market.
Even though Europe and Japan weren't so exited about dropping their own subsidies as part of the WTO talks, Argentina and Latin America should have pursued this further at the summit and made it a condition of going forward with the FTAA. The FTAA doesn't need to be a one-sided giveaway to the U.S. There's no reason why Latin America can't insist on getting a fair deal. However, if they aren't even willing to talk and they're only interested in chest-pounding, then progress will never be made.
Labels: Current Events
posted by SoyYo at 11/09/2005 04:44:00 PM
4 Comments:
Communism and free trade sometimes have one thing in common--that's idealism. Free trade is great, but in principle a third-world country trading with a first-world country can hurt too.
Within the first two years of NAFTA, Mexico lost 80% of small businesses. Why? They couldn't compete with American businesses. Now when you go to Mexico, you notice that every product has a US name on it. US bought many Mexican farms and mechanized them creating an artificial onslaught of Mexican immigration.
The FTAA is good for little countries and countries without resources (e.g. Chile, Costa Rica), but for Argentina and Brazil that have strong small business sectors, it would mean a flood of US products and businesses to compete with. Small businesses would sell-out and the US would own South America. Good for the US, bad for non-US.
I agree that Maradona and Chavez are morons. But I disagree that Argentines and Brazilians are not entrepreneurial. They are. But their kiosks can't compete with Walmart and they know it.
Good comments from everyone, though I have to say Mike, yours were the most articulate and well thought out. Every nation has the right to choose its own destiny, and you can't scare people into joining your vision of the future. The only way the U.S and China became economic power houses was through protectionism, remember United Steel anyone? JPMorgan Andrew Carnegie? How do you think they became the people that they did and how did they create such economic giants? by protectionism plain and simple . Integration , In my opinion, is the only ways, South America can truly compete with giants like the U.S and China. Remember, not so long ago Every South American country had trade pacts with the United States and none with each other, thats some twilight zone ish and those days are over. Oh by the way China owns about a third of the U.S anyways. Who do you think is paying most of the half a trillion dollars these Wars are costing? I'd really like to get into the economics of capitalism, in particular Keynesian economics, but that might give some staunch capitalists nightmares. The next big player isn't China alone, its the S.C.O , for those that dont know, google it. Economic blocks are the future. And for those that say capitalism is in every humans nature. Just remember before europeans came to American shores there was socialism allready here, so although that whole "capitalism is human nature" bit is a good talking point it is in no way true in absolute terms. So even though Capitalism is in no way the final stage in human development, and is flawed in too many ways for it to last much longer, it is here to stay for the near future. I believe The future lies in a socially conscious capitalism, one that doesn't forget the millions upon millions living in shanty towns, and who could ever argue against that? Mercosur is a path to greater South American cooperation and integration. I am not a Chavez basher, I think its admirable that a man becomes the president of one of the most strategically important countries in the world, as far as energy is concerned, and for once, does nothing to enrich himself, but give back to the people what is theirs to begin with. The threat of a good example is a very scary thing and demonizing him is the easiest thing to do, But trying to lift your people out of poverty is a noble thing, period. Just think, some countries send soldiers and bombs and some send doctors and teachers, I guess only time will tell which way is the right way.
Argentina rocks, been there twice and planning to move there completely in september, after my beloved California Summer. My work is on computers and the internet. For anyone moving to a foreign country, computer work rocks
Peace,
Alex
"The next big player isn't China alone, its the S.C.O , for those that dont know, google it."
What? the Southern College of Optometry is set to take over the world?
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), also check out BRIC , I will make it easy for you ( Brazil, Russia India China )
PS, I live here now, Argentina does rock
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