[11] in peace2
Globe Online Recommendation
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (auyeung@MIT.EDU)
Thu Dec 2 13:45:21 1999
Date: Thu, 2 Dec 1999 13:44:25 -0500 (EST)
Message-Id: <199912021844.NAA28153@web4.boston.com>
To: peace2@MIT.EDU, alsmith@MIT.EDU, nork@MIT.EDU, vsyeung@MIT.EDU,
zan@MIT.EDU
From: auyeung@MIT.EDU
Here's an article recommended to you by Felix AuYeung
from The Boston Globe Online [ http://www.boston.com/globe ]
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Here is an article from the Globe today which I think misunderstands the WTO protests completely. The author's slant is that free trade makes Americans insecure, primarily for fear of exported jobs. But that does not explain the huge turnouts of protesters all across the country.
To the article's credit, it did include some hints as to why some are against the WTO, primarily recent WTO actions that force the EPA to change its cleaner gasoline policies against air pollution, and the revocation of EU's ban on bovine growth hormone US beef.
On the latter point, if the WTO, in this case representing the interest of Monsanto, can overturn the concerns of European citizens who do not want injected beef, then the question becomes where does the WTO jurisdiction end? So far, we've seen anti-labor, anti-environment, and anti-people's wishes results from the WTO rulings. And that is why protesters across the nation are gathering.
Perhaps the appropriate summerizing quote would be:''These groups are not against trade,'' said Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra Club, one of the groups protesting in Seattle. ''You've got a big-tent coalition emerging - labor, environmental, church groups - who say trade rules have to reflect the values of communities and citizens, not just the views of transnational companies.''
The author missed the point. Perhaps there are people against free trade for fear of exported jobs, but those are not the people protesting. Trade is but a subset of society, and should serve people, not corporations.
Felix
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The following story appeared in The Globe Online:
Date: 12/02/99
Headline: Increasing global trade raises insecurity
Story Intro:
WASHINGTON - For a nation basking in the fruits of free trade, which include low prices and a boost to economic growth, the pictures of pepper gas and riot police in Seattle are a jarring reminder that many Americans are deeply insecure about what lies ahead as nations become more entwined with the economies of their trading partners.
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If you're interested in the rest of this story point your
web browser to:
http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/336/nation/Increasing_global_trade_raises_insecurity+.shtml
(You can easily copy and paste the URL above into the
location line of your browser.
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