US House of Reps approves free- trade pacts with Singapore, Chile

[Nambe]

WASHINGTON (AFX)

The House of Representatives approved free-trade pacts Thursday with Singapore and Chile, giving President George W. Bush a victory in his agenda to expand bilateral deals to cut tariffs and expand trade.

The House passed the Singapore measure 272-155 and approved a separate pact with Chile 270-156. The measures are expected to win passage in the Senate next week, which would ratify the pacts signed by the Bush administration. ---

But the vote in Congress did not come without fierce criticism from lawmakers that may depress wages, erode worker rights and send many US jobs abroad.

Representative Pete Stark, a California Democrat, said, "As if it isn't bad enough that we trash workers' rights in Chile, we have to do it in Singapore too."

Stark cited estimates showing 3.5 mln US white-collar jobs will shift to other countries in the next 10 years, and that the free-trade pacts would exacerbate that trend. ---

[JackSwift]

1. I thought treaties

were exclusively Senate territory?

[Alexander]

2. That's just what we need right now

In this time of record high unemployment, we NEED to lose more jobs to other countries. Good thinking, folks.

[SyracuseDemocrat]

4. I don't think you understand

economics or free trade policies. That would be my guess. The cost of protectionism to consumers is enormous. They have to pay higher prices as a result of "job saving". Just because people will lose jobs is no reason to jack up the price of goods to consumers. If a foreign company can deliver goods cheaper than some govt subsidized steel company, then more power to them. You have no right to hurt consumers just because American companies are not up to par.

SyracuseDemocrat
Proud driver of a Mitsubishi automobile.

[Ignoramus]

6. So, you'll be unemployed or poisoned, but stuff in the store will be cheap

As usual, what about the workers? Humans have value, I insist! Foreign companies can deliver goods cheaper for sure, if they don't have to be bothered by those pesky human rights, or worry about those bothersome environmental concerns.

I don't "understand economics or free trade policies". I'm trying to learn. I notice certain patterns to the arguments.

The arguments in favor of free-trade (and also arguments in favor of forcing gentically modified organisms on the world, and other arguments urging activists into inaction) generally take the form:

"blah blah blah blah" and that's why we should get richer, you should give us all your _____ and should remain poor and poisoned.

Or,

_____ will increase our profits and you should accept ____ because the harm caused to you will not be that bad.

If I were a laborer and there were these rich people blathering at me, I would not buy any of it, if what it comes down to is that I'm going to be suffering and they are going to be getting richer.

People who want to oppose this should contact their senators this week, to urge them to fight against this and CAFTA and FTAA.

Here are talking points about the chile/singapore FTA from public citizen:

http://www.citizen.org/trade/issues/singapore/articles.cfm?ID=9671

Here's a thing about the effect of NAFTA on workers:

http://www.epinet.org/content.cfm/briefingpapers_nafta01_index

[w4rma]

7. Who in America will be able to afford to by *anything*

at *any* price if we have no jobs or if the jobs don't pay enough to even cover the rent?

[LauraK]

3. Hoffa said yesterday, the Dems will pay if they let this through...

without a big fight. There are some house Dems in the dog house today.

[SyracuseDemocrat]

5. Hoffa can go to hell, as far as I'm concerned.

He refused to endorse Gore until much later in the 2000 campaign. The AFL-CIO endorsed Gore right off, but Hoffa was talking to the Bush campaign. Hoffa's an ass, just like his dad.

[Ignoramus]

8. When oh

I don't see a date for when this'll be discussed in the senate. It says "placed on calender", on the senate.gov web page (I'm new to this). Neither senator's office could tell me when. I guess it's not determined.

These are chile and singapore H.R. 2738 and H.R. 2739 respectively.

Anyway, it's pretty important it seems to me. I hope people will call their senators and urge them to oppose these, CAFTA and FTAA. And thank or spank your congress entity, and urge them to oppose free trade, CAFTA and FTAA.