Colombian, Korean, Panamanian Activists Condemn Obama Support For New "Free Trade" Deals

[The Northerner]

Run time: 05:06 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykZ2nB7yu-c   Posted on YouTube: October 11, 2011 By YouTube Member: democracynow Views on YouTube: 48   Posted on DU: October 11, 2011 By DU Member: The Northerner Views on DU: 976

 
www.DemocracyNow.org - Organizers from Colombia, Panama and South Korea held a teach-in at Occupy Wall Street on Monday about "free trade agreements" now pending in Congress that will expand the market for national corporations and financial corporations from the United States. "Essentially, it tries to institute once more the things that caused the financial crisis in the first place," Sukjong Hong, an organizer with Nodutdol for Korean Community Development, told Democracy Now! Host Amy Goodman. "It also opens the door to outsourcing more American jobs." Carlos Salamanca, member of AFSCME Local 372, adds that the Colombian free trade agreement "is the continuation of what is going on in Colombia, supporting the government who is not doing anything to stop the killing of workers in Colombia, the union members, the human-rights activists, and the persecution against the indigenous and the Afro-Columbian leadership over there."

[JDPriestly]

1. The teach-ins are great.

It is no wonder that the mainstream press does not like OWS. The teach-ins at OWS are getting information to the public that the mainstream press suppresses.

I like that. Instead of referring to "the mainstream press," we should just refer to the "suppress."

I was especially troubled by the Korean woman's explanation that the proposed trade agreement with Korea would bar us from regulating derivatives.

This is why I so strongly oppose trade agreements. Not only do they destroy American jobs -- in every single case -- but they have the status of treaties. That means that they are enforceable over local law and state just as is our Constitution.

This is in Article VI of the Constitution

This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.

So, if in your state you want to pass an environmental regulation, say to protect a resource or to bar certain financial practices, or some other law that is incompatible with some provision in a trade agreement, the trade agreement will be enforced. We had this problem with permitting Mexican trucks to come into the US not that long ago.

I don't want to exaggerate about this because the trade agreements are usually not so comprehensive as to bar very many of the laws that we might want to enact at the local level. But they are undemocratic because they make discussion on the local and even national level of many policy issues impossible. This would be true if we sign a Korean agreement that bars us and Korea from freely regulating derivatives. Can you imagine?

Still, these trade agreements can deprive citizens of their rights to self-government on a number of issues.

I do not like these lengthy trade agreements. They are an abomination. They are potentially very destructive to our economy, our jobs and ultimately to our environment.

In addition, I see these three trade agreements as yet another part of the greedy empire-building strategy of a certain very small minority of powerful Americans. Note the countries: Panama -- in Central America; Colombia -- in South America; and Korea -- in Asia. Once we have agreements with these countries, we will have a foothold in the areas in which they are located. This will further bind these countries and their trade and finances to us. I wish I could believe that our intention in carrying out this strategy were merely friendly. But I just am not so sure.

Please call your congressman. Vote no on these trade agreements.

[valerief]

2. SupPress. I like it, too. nt

[chill_wind]

3. K & R.

It seems very likely they will pass, though.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x2100113

[Mosaic]

4. No more of this fraud called 'free trade'

Please call your congressman. Vote no on these trade agreements.

Absolutely, I'm with you!