Article

2005-07-25 Caribbean-Latin America

Trade, not Aid: Why it's Crucial to Approve CAFTA This Week

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Posted by too true 2005-07-25 08:36|| || Front Page|| [4 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 At the risk of stating the blindlingly obvious. The upside of saying bye-bye to Latin America for the USA would appear to be far more than the downside. Take care what you wish for.

Posted by phil_b 2005-07-25 09:10|| 2005-07-25 09:10|| Front Page Top

#2 While I am tempted to say, "Fuck you and so long, assholes" to Central and South America, the risk of them falling into revolution and providing the same environment as Afganistan is just too great, IMHO. Now some CIA sponsered coups, assasinations and some democratic reform might be just what the doctor ordered for that area of the world.

Posted by mmurray821 2005-07-25 10:24|| 2005-07-25 10:24|| Front Page Top

#3 The more you learn about CAFTA the less you might think central america would want it. It is kind of stacked in our favor. They stand to gain very little as is the traditional slant on central american trade policies. We are basically throwing them a bone. They will consume very little of our expensive goods, and they don't really know what to do with our foodstuffs. It may lower prices a little on agricultural products for american consumers. As with most trade policies 700-800 people will make all the money and the rest of us will see little change. So unless your a democrat and don't want to see anyone make a buck, who cares?

Posted by Bigjim-ky 2005-07-25 11:55|| 2005-07-25 11:55|| Front Page Top

#4 I would rather see this than extending most favored nation status to a country like say China. Over all I really don't think this will have that much impact on the US economy. But I think if this lowers barriers between the Central and South American countries themselves and increase trade in the region itself it can only help matters. Personally I think most of the regions econmic problems are more related the the cultural baggage they aqquired from the era of Spains dominance than anything that the US did. And the US did do somethings that IMO were wrong. Using the Marines as a police force to help the United Fruit Company wasn't a high point in US foreign policy. Just my $.02

Posted by Cheaderhead 2005-07-25 12:37|| 2005-07-25 12:37|| Front Page Top

#5 Without strong intellectual property protections, Latin American countries will not get permission to produce, say, generic versions of patented drugs. Yes, there are UN-sponsored agreements under WIPO, but they are rigid and in some cases work against the recipient countries. Regional agreements are more likely to be win-win for all sides.

We should care, for several reasons. WIPO/GATT allows countries to demand that a drug be sold at an acceptable price ... if not, they can bypass the patents. Or do that on any other patented or copyrighted product.

In other words, if we don't engage in regional agreements we WILL find ourselves hemmed in by UN-sponsored ones. And saying F*uck You to the UN won't work - companies need markets.

Now from the CAFTA side, what the Latin countries get is access to markets for their products, yes, but also a legal framework within which it becomes much more attractive for multinational corporations to do business there, set up regional firms, do tech transfer etc.

Win-win.

Posted by rkb 2005-07-25 12:41|| 2005-07-25 12:41|| Front Page Top

#6 If it'll do something about the US sugar rip-off Im for it.

Posted by Shipman 2005-07-25 12:46|| 2005-07-25 12:46|| Front Page Top

#7 saying F*uck You to the UN won't work

Maybe not, but some things are worth the economic cost.

By the way, the asterisk is superfluous.

Posted by Matt 2005-07-25 12:50|| 2005-07-25 12:50|| Front Page Top

#8 LOL

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2005-07-25 12:55|| 2005-07-25 12:55|| Front Page Top

#9 There are far more good reasons to have CAFTA than not. The eventual creation of a hemispheric trading bloc, associated with a really boring-sounding term, "managerial efficiency", would be the economic equivalent of what Bush is doing politically in the Middle East. Take Brazil, for example, which has proven itself capable of generating vast amounts of capital; transcended only by their ability to squander that capital. If their economies' management was blended with that of the US, such disasters wouldn't happen--too many American businessmen with interests in Brazil would intervene to keep it from happening--and the Brazilians would profit immeasureably by it. I mean intervene in the broadest of terms--across the spectrum of their nation there would be a foreign pool of good management always pressing for better standards. "Don't build a new capital (Brazilia) in the middle of a desert on top of a mesa. That is stupid." Sage advise from people dedicated to making money, not pissing it away.

Posted by Anonymoose 2005-07-25 14:25|| 2005-07-25 14:25|| Front Page Top

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