Nonsense. We have given the WTO great power. We rescinded a Bush tax credit at their demand. that is 100% unacceptable to me. Here is exactly the problem according to Duncan Hunter.
In an article Hunter wrote in a July 1994 opposing the formation of the World Trade Organization, he laid out four reasons it was a very, very bad idea for US sovereignty-—
• “The first of these ``Big 4’’ provisions is in Article IX. It states that decisions by the World Trade Organization ``shall be taken by a majority ... each member of WTO shall have one vote.’’ Folks, this gives Fidel Castro in Cuba the same vote as the United States. It is just like the General Assembly of the United Nations, with one vital difference. There is no Security Council in the WTO to give the U.S. a veto as in the UN.
• “The second of the ``Big 4’’ provisions is also in Article IX. It gives the WTO the ``exclusive authority’’ to interpret the GATT and thus the reach of its own power. As the American Founding Fathers knew, the power to interpret the rules is tantamount to writing the rules. Thus the U.S. Constitution divided power into Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches. There is no such division in the WTO. Thus the same Third World super-majority that changes a provisions under Article X, section 4 can then interpret that provision under Article IX, section 13. America’s one little vote won’t even slow the process down.”
• “The third of the ``Big 4’’ provisions in the GATT-WTO is in Article XVI, section 5. It states ``No reservations may be made in respect to provisions of this Agreement.’’ This means that Congress cannot ``fix’’ the agreement. All the plans various members of Congress have drawn up to protect American interests via enabling legislation are prohibited by the WTO.”
• “The last of the ``Big 4’’ provisions is in Article XVI, section 4. ``Each nation will ensure the conformity of its laws, regulations and administrative procedures with its obligations as provided in the (GATT-WTO) agreements.’’ So folks, if you’re looking for Congress’ new role in trade policy, here it is. Our job will be to change American laws to conform to the supreme law of the World Trade Organization. Though the U.S. Constitution grants to Congress the right to regulate foreign commerce, woe be it to any Congress that attempts to insert a little ``American interest’’ into American law!”
Bush tax credit? Are you talking about the Byrd Amendment? It was an abomination. It was about private companies using the government (at our expense) to raise prices (at our expense) and get a refund of our money (at our expense). Man, if you are like some of the others on this thread with that “anti-corporatist” mentality, then you have it exactly backwards.
bump