CAFTA - outsourcing sovereignty?
CAFTA-DR: Outsourcing Sovereignty, Importing Dependence
By Randy Stevenson, Vice President of the Organization for Competitive
Markets (OCM)
Opinion
July 21, 2005
The Central American Free Trade Agreement- Dominican Republic (CAFTA-DR)
will outsource America's sovereignty and create dependence on foreign
agriculture. Farmers, ranchers and feeders should call their Congressmen
urging them to protect our representative government and our economy by
voting against CAFTA. The House of Representatives will vote soon on the
measure, given administration pressure and deal making.
The primary concern with CAFTA-DR is the incremental outsourcing of our
sovereignty to international bureaucrats who can strike down U.S. laws.
CAFTA subjects every act of Congress and state governments to potential
review by an international arbitration tribunal in the event foreign
companies dislike the laws and file a CAFTA complaint. Unelected NAFTA
tribunals have stricken 43 U.S. laws. The WTO has stricken several more,
reducing our options for farm and industrial policy. We elect Congressman
and Senators to do work for us, but they can't do work for us when foreign
tribunals have the power to declare our laws "illegal." The tribunals can
even trump our Supreme Court.
Here are examples of state laws that may be challenged. Wyoming's
constitution disallows state contracts awarded to non-citizens, and would be
challenged. Nebraska's packer ownership prohibition would be at risk. Utah's
prohibition against internet gambling has been stricken by the WTO already.
Canadian cattlemen have filed a $300 million suit against the U.S. for the
border closure to Canadian cattle, saying U.S. health rules violated NAFTA.
State's rights are endangered by CAFTA-DR.
CAFTA cheerleaders say, with a straight face, that agriculture needs the
agreement to expand exports. NAFTA has helped turn us into a net food
importer when agriculture was America's most significant net export sector
prior. I have fed cattle throughout the life of NAFTA and have only seen
imports gaining over the promised exports.
We will see integrators from the U.S. move to the CAFTA countries, double
their production, and sell the product to the U.S. over the next 20 years.
There are currently companies scouting for investment possibilities
according to industry rumor. We cannot compete with $2.50 per day labor.
But we also cannot expect $2.50 per day labor to be interested in buying our
steaks and pork chops, despite administration promises. The CAFTA economy
sizes are equal to small U.S. cities, hardly providing the buying power
implied by the administration.
We have outsourced our textile industry, our computer industry, and many
other industries. America is in the process of outsourcing our agriculture
and our sovereignty. Farmers and ranchers support our troops in Iraq, but we
are giving away more freedom through trade agreements than any soldiers can
gain overseas.
CAFTA is not a trade agreement, it is an import agreement. There is no free
lunch. CAFTA asks us to sell our collective soul for a few cheap imports as
we proceed from a so-called North American cattle herd to a Union of the
Americas. Decisions will be made farther from the people, our trade deficit
will grow, and only multinational trading companies will benefit. This is
not a prediction. It has already happened. We will just accelerate the trend
with CAFTA and the planned Free Trade Agreement of the Americas to include
Brazil and Argentina.
In his 1793 Farewell Address, President George Washington warned the nation,
"The great rule of conduct for us in regard to foreign nations is, in
extending our commercial relations to have with them as little political
connection as possible." Washington clearly understood the inherent dangers
posed to America by entangling alliances with other nations, when commerce
might be advanced only with political strings attached.
Citizens should contact their Congressmen and urge them to safeguard our
liberty and our economy. They should also contact their own State
Legislators and inform them of the danger to states rights and encourage
them to contact members of Congress to protect state sovereignty and
individual liberty. CAFTA-DR is bad for our country, our agriculture, and
our independence.
competitivemarkets.org
CAFTA-DR: Outsourcing Sovereignty, Importing Dependence
By Randy Stevenson, Vice President of the Organization for Competitive
Markets (OCM)
Opinion
July 21, 2005
The Central American Free Trade Agreement- Dominican Republic (CAFTA-DR)
will outsource America's sovereignty and create dependence on foreign
agriculture. Farmers, ranchers and feeders should call their Congressmen
urging them to protect our representative government and our economy by
voting against CAFTA. The House of Representatives will vote soon on the
measure, given administration pressure and deal making.
The primary concern with CAFTA-DR is the incremental outsourcing of our
sovereignty to international bureaucrats who can strike down U.S. laws.
CAFTA subjects every act of Congress and state governments to potential
review by an international arbitration tribunal in the event foreign
companies dislike the laws and file a CAFTA complaint. Unelected NAFTA
tribunals have stricken 43 U.S. laws. The WTO has stricken several more,
reducing our options for farm and industrial policy. We elect Congressman
and Senators to do work for us, but they can't do work for us when foreign
tribunals have the power to declare our laws "illegal." The tribunals can
even trump our Supreme Court.
Here are examples of state laws that may be challenged. Wyoming's
constitution disallows state contracts awarded to non-citizens, and would be
challenged. Nebraska's packer ownership prohibition would be at risk. Utah's
prohibition against internet gambling has been stricken by the WTO already.
Canadian cattlemen have filed a $300 million suit against the U.S. for the
border closure to Canadian cattle, saying U.S. health rules violated NAFTA.
State's rights are endangered by CAFTA-DR.
CAFTA cheerleaders say, with a straight face, that agriculture needs the
agreement to expand exports. NAFTA has helped turn us into a net food
importer when agriculture was America's most significant net export sector
prior. I have fed cattle throughout the life of NAFTA and have only seen
imports gaining over the promised exports.
We will see integrators from the U.S. move to the CAFTA countries, double
their production, and sell the product to the U.S. over the next 20 years.
There are currently companies scouting for investment possibilities
according to industry rumor. We cannot compete with $2.50 per day labor.
But we also cannot expect $2.50 per day labor to be interested in buying our
steaks and pork chops, despite administration promises. The CAFTA economy
sizes are equal to small U.S. cities, hardly providing the buying power
implied by the administration.
We have outsourced our textile industry, our computer industry, and many
other industries. America is in the process of outsourcing our agriculture
and our sovereignty. Farmers and ranchers support our troops in Iraq, but we
are giving away more freedom through trade agreements than any soldiers can
gain overseas.
CAFTA is not a trade agreement, it is an import agreement. There is no free
lunch. CAFTA asks us to sell our collective soul for a few cheap imports as
we proceed from a so-called North American cattle herd to a Union of the
Americas. Decisions will be made farther from the people, our trade deficit
will grow, and only multinational trading companies will benefit. This is
not a prediction. It has already happened. We will just accelerate the trend
with CAFTA and the planned Free Trade Agreement of the Americas to include
Brazil and Argentina.
In his 1793 Farewell Address, President George Washington warned the nation,
"The great rule of conduct for us in regard to foreign nations is, in
extending our commercial relations to have with them as little political
connection as possible." Washington clearly understood the inherent dangers
posed to America by entangling alliances with other nations, when commerce
might be advanced only with political strings attached.
Citizens should contact their Congressmen and urge them to safeguard our
liberty and our economy. They should also contact their own State
Legislators and inform them of the danger to states rights and encourage
them to contact members of Congress to protect state sovereignty and
individual liberty. CAFTA-DR is bad for our country, our agriculture, and
our independence.
competitivemarkets.org