Trevor (and others): what does it mean to say that "NAFTA is just a trade group"? NAFTA, the CAnada-US FTA, the WTO and other such arrangements impose a set of restrictions on countries' ability to regulate the behaviour of capital. I'm very uncomfortable with the (oft-repeated) proposition that NAFTA's simply about trade. It's one of the corner stones of neoliberalism on the world stage today. Sid > > In reply to Maggie, I'm not saying that international trade groups like the > EU and NAFTA can be turned to progressive purposes. I think that the EU > and NAFTA are quite different types of initiative. NAFTA is just a trade > group, and I do not see any progressive possibilities in it. > > As far as the EU is concerned, I do not consider it to be just a trade > group - it is precisely the political dimension that make it different from > NAFTA; also I do not see it so much as an international organisation, but > rather as part of the process of creating a (West) European state > structure. > > As far as progressive initiatives are concerned, I agree with Maggie. I > think they will only be realised if they are pushed for by strong union > and/or popular movements. But I think on key issues like shorter hours, > such movements will need to be developed at a European level if they are to > be effective. > > Trevor Evans > Berlin >
