Reply #11: It discourages regulation and public investment [View All]

[Armstead]

Any activity deemed to be harmful to the interests of foreign investors is potentially subject to being prohibited under the rules of these agreements.

Public works are potentially subject to privatization as a result. Nations are not allowed to initiate regulations or specific acts of protectionism (such as the steel tariff actions recently) that "interfere with trade."

That's the direction these are going in.

Here's sopme links that tell the otehr side of "free trade.'


http://www.citizen.org/trade/

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Archive/0%2C5673%2C-991%2C0.html

http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/index.html

http://www.globalissues.org/TradeRelated/FreeTrade.asp