Posted on 05/04/2007 3:44:37 AM PDT by shrinkermd
A popular theme among Democrats running for President is their pledge to make America better liked around the world. Hillary Clinton says she'll even dispatch her husband as a kind of ambassador to the world. Well, he might start in Latin America, where our allies are getting stiffed by Democrats in Congress on trade and security.
We're referring in particular to Colombian President Álvaro Uribe, who has been in Washington this week, making his case for the U.S.-Colombia free-trade agreement and for continued U.S. help against terrorism. Colombia, Peru and Panama have all negotiated trade accords with the U.S. that, pending Congressional approval, would raise living standards and expand American influence.
A defeat for any of the three would do great harm to the Andean region, where democrats are battling Hugo Chávez's neo-socialist populism. Mr. Uribe, Peruvian President Álan Garcia and Panamanian President Martin Torrijos have all bet their futures on opening their economies to the U.S. If they're rebuffed, the local disciples of Mr. Chávez will say they were right not to trust the capitalist Yankees. The consequences won't look good on Nancy Pelosi's resume.
On economic grounds alone, the U.S. has everything to gain by approving these trade deals. Most Peruvian and Colombian exports already have duty-free access to the U.S. market through the Andean Trade Preferences Act. But U.S. manufacturing and farm exports heading south still face high tariff and non-tariff barriers. The regional financial center of Panama is especially attractive for U.S. services but is likewise a protected market.
The larger goal is spurring development and improving the investment climate in all three countries. While Colombia and Peru have duty-free access to U.S. markets, that privilege must be renewed every few years. None of this matters to some Democrats, whose
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
Windbag Al Gore insulted Uribe just a couple of days ago by refusing to appear with him at an event because of his “support for paramilitaries.” First of all, the latter is not true. But aside from that, it shows how much the Dems want the Marxists to win in Latin America. They’re angry at Uribe because he has had enormous success in overcoming FARC and restoring Colombia’s society and economy.
Hmmm, free trade. Maybe someday thieving, meddlesome, bureaucratic governments will get out of the way and let us try it.
There's not a dimes worth of difference between the Colombian left and the American left. It's interesting because you can't say the same about the Colombian right and the American right.
Pelosi refused to meet with Uribe when he was in town this week. It is absolutely incredible that the Dem leadership is taking orders from the unions and MoveOn (the upcoming bilateral trade agreement) in this fashion.
The pubbies and the administration should beat this one like a drum. Would You trust these people to run our government in these dangerous times, Mr. and Mrs. USA?
Build the wall.
Only Reagan saved the day - until now, when the apologists for tyranny again assert themselves.
They profess they are for the peasants/underclass - but these are the very ones that revolt against the tyranny imposed by the middle-class revolutionaries in Central and South America.
The Contras in Nicaragua were peasants - their oppressors were middle-class “intellectuals”, who still hold on in Nicaragua to the homes they seized.
Columbia and Peru the great threats to American unions/s
The War on Drugs is why we are losing Latin America, and Afghanistan too. Oh, and you can add the protection racket for our sugar growers to the list of reasons as well.
It is a shame that Americans had to convert to high fructose corn syrup in all our foods and sodas, and have suffered an epidemic of obesity because of it... just to protect a few families growing sugar in LA and FL. Cane sugar costs 5 times as much in the US as in the rest of the world. Did Democrats do this?
The Rats want to turn Latin America over to Hugo Chavez and Vladimir Putin.
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