Posted on 07/28/2005 9:58:45 AM PDT by Tumbleweed_Connection
Members of the Stop CAFTA Coalition denounced the approval of the US-Dominican Republic Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) which passed by a vote of 217 to 215 in the House of Representatives early Thursday morning.
"This is a tragedy for people in the United States, and even more so for the people of Central America and the Dominican Republic," said Tom Ricker of the Quixote Center. "For three years, we have worked with our brothers and sisters in the region to build a broad-based cross-border movement against this agreement, only to see the Bush Administration and the Republican leadership use dirty tricks to guarantee its approval."
"As we expected, the House Speaker kept the roll call open until after midnight while the Bush Administration twisted arms and bought off the remaining votes necessary for approval," said Burke Stansbury of the Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador. "This Administration was unable to pass CAFTA on its merits, so it turned to scare tactics and lies, making the absurd claim that rejecting CAFTA would lead to violence and a dictatorship in Central America."
"CAFTA is a sham, and the procedures used to limit debate and win over additional votes are an atrocity," said Burke Stansbury. "What we saw on the floor of the House this week was nothing less than the total undermining of the democratic process."
The Stop CAFTA Coalition held a vigil outside the Capital on Wednesday, as part of a long pressure campaign to thwart the agreement, which was signed over a year ago but had yet to come to a vote due to lack of support.
"This vote will not be forgotten by the people of the Americas. It is another example of a policy that seeks to dominate, economically and politically, a region of people demanding democracy and self-determination," said Holly Miller of Witness for Peace. "The people of Central America will continue to resist the implementation of this agreement, and we stand in solidarity with them in the face of this injustice."
CAFTA has not passed in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic due to heavy opposition in those countries. In El Salvador, opposition parties have challenged the legality of CAFTA approval.
"The struggle is far from over. The heightened awareness built by our campaign about the negative effects of so-called "free trade" will broaden our efforts to roll back CAFTA, NAFTA, and the destructive economic system from which they stem," said Andrew de Sousa of the Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala (NISGUA). "We are inspired by the resistance of popular movements throughout the Americas, and we know that we will eventually turn the tide against this abusive system."
"This is a tragedy for people in the United States, and even more so for the people of Central America and the Dominican Republic,"
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Yes it is, and worse than that, in the final analysis.
Thank You Mr. President for another fine effort to disintegrate America.
money talks, the People walk
Let's remember, that after NAFTA, 15 million jobs have been added and the unemployment rate is 1.0% then when NAFTA was passed.
Correction: the unemployment rate is 1% lower now then when NAFTA was passed.
So how much does McDonalds pay?
Ah. And here I thought it was tax cuts that managed to turn the economy around in the face of an impending recession and terrorist attacks.
We are a non-profit justice and peace organization whose mission is to work for structural change in church and society.
The Quixote Center provides housing, incorporation, tax-exemption, legal status, accounting and technological services for a wide range of social justice projects.
The Quixote Center has a strong board of directors and staff who plan, nurture and implement our work for justice.
Equal Justice USA - works to abolish the death penalty and, through its Moratorium Now! campaign, strives to bring about a moratorium on executions.
Past Projects: Karen Silkwood Case; New Ways Ministry for Gay and Lesbian Catholics; Prison Radio Project.
Just imagine the poor die hard union guy who is also a heavy smoker. As he becomes the last dues paying union member in America, the amount extorted from him each month for the dems skyrockets. At the same time, as the last smoker in the state, he is responsible for paying all the taxes that the school system needs. The last union smoker could be in deep trouble!! That's one smoking union guy I could almost feel sorry for! Nah!!!
Abstaining were Charles Taylor (R-NC) and Jo Ann Davis (R-VA).
I wouldn't be too quick to condemn it. With Pelosi and other truly socialist Dims, along with the Quixote folks, condemning it, there may be more sense to it than many of us can glean. Free enterprise and capitalism seem to do pretty good if allowed to operate.
I ask this in all seriousness as I haven't followed this, why is the passage of this bad in your view?
I ask this in all seriousness as I haven't followed this, why is the passage of this bad in your view?
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The best and most timely answer I can give you, is for you to READ CAFTA in its entirety. Equally important is to study the elitist mentality that is driving all the Free Trade Agreements -- the BS that is being put out by the "supporters" of CAFTA, is deliverately over-simplified and misleading is an understatement. This really is an ugly story which you will understand if you research it.
I have sent many emails, and communicated with my representatives about this. Many of the GOP are very upset with Bush's agenda on this. It is not good for America, to say the least.
It was both...plus low interest...
So give a few bullets...why is it bad?
If anything, the effects of NAFTA on the economy and the numbers that have been sited to support what NAFTA did are dubious at best.
My theory is that CAFTA will work out in a similar fashion.
(Crickets chirping)
It didn't.
It never was going too.
CAFTA won't either.
And if we could get some half decent illegal immigration enforcement on the employers and some sort of plan regarding the borders both north AND south.....
So, tell me how NAFTA brought us the 20% unemployment and bread lines across the nation, as was promised by Paleo Pat, Ross the Boss, and several Dems back in 1993.
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Nice try. Read CAFTA.
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