Ed Weick mused:
> Politicians appeared to give particular attention to the so-called
> "Democracy Clause", which was intended to establish conditions that would
> exclude non-democratically elected countries from the FTAA.
Really ironic as the FTAA is all about the abolition of democracy.
(Corporations can sue countries if the latter dare to put enviro/social
regulations in their way.)
> Poor countries would benefit and so might the rich. For example, Jamaica
> [...] young people in the vast shanty towns of Kingston can find little
> else to do. Giving them some alternatives and raising the standard of
> living even a little might do something positive in stemming the flow of
> drugs. Providing more jobs at home could also stem the brain-drain which
> Jamaica and other Caribbean countries are experiencing.
On the contrary, the FTAA would make the poor countries' economy pretty flat.
> The FTAA will most certainly not result in anything resembling the European
> Union. Member nations of the EU were originally much closer to enjoying a
> similar standard of living than are countries of the Americas.
Just wait until the EU-extension to Eastern Europe (and later possibly
to North Africa). With this, the EU will have the "cheapo backyard" just
like the U$ has in South America -- even closer...
Chris
