Not approving US-Colombia FTA 'terrible signal to the world': McCain

[Judi Lynn]

Not approving US-Colombia FTA 'terrible signal to the world': McCain
Friday, 07 January 2011 14:44
Adriaan Alsema

If the United States congress does not ratify a free trade agreement with Colombia, signed by the countries' governments in 2006, it would "be a terrible signal sent to the world," said U.S. Senator McCain (R-Az) on Colombian radio Friday.

"It would be a terrible signal to send to the world if we did not conclude this agreement with the country that's been one of the closest allies and supporters in the war on drugs," McCain told W Radio.

Despite his support for an FTA with Colombia, the Republican senator was not able to say if the changes in U.S. congress following the mid-term elections in November mean the trade agreement will be passed any time soon.

"The president has a new chief of staff, Mr. (William M.) Daley, who was one of the negotiators of a north American free trade agreement (NAFTA) and the administration has also said that they would reevaluate the issue of Mexican trucks coming into the United States which was agreed upon in NAFTA, so I hope that the change in attitude and personnel in the White House will mean renewed support for Colombia, Panama and Korean free trade agreements," McCain said.

More:
http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/economy/13624-not-approving-us-colombia-fta-terrible-signal.html

[Peace Patriot]

1. Lot of money in it for McCain, in privatizations in Colombia (as in Honduras).

Lot of telecommunications. Lot of oil. Lot of coal. Lot of corporate ag land for Monsanto, Chiquita, et al (--already stolen from 5 million peasant farmers). Lot of slave labor to be dibbied out (--now that the U.S. "war on drugs" has taken care of the "labor problem" in Colombia, by targeted murders of hundreds of trade unionists). And no human and civil rights to get in the way (--also taken care of by the U.S. "war on drugs").

He and his evil cronies must be salivating.

[social_critic]

2. Colombia is already "privatized" and free trade will help Colombians

I suspect you are confusing privatization with foreign investment. Colombia is already a capitalist society. It's oil and other industries already include many foreign companies. In Colombia there is no real "slave labor", in urban areas or in the oil industry there are significant labor rights. In rural areas there is a lot of abuse and near-serfdom.

The best way the USA can help Colombia improve is to have a free trade agreement which will encourage foreing investors to invest in Colombia so they can export to the US. As the investment flows in, there will be abuses, but the end result is a richer Colombia, and the gradual evolution of stronger unions. As a wealthier urban and industrial population evolves, the rural areas will benefit because they will be providing products to their cousins in the urban areas. And as the demand for labor increases, the power of workers increases - which means they can ask for better wages and working conditions.

These may not be the revolutionary marxist changes many want, but they are pragmatic changes which help solve the problem, rather than making it worse, which is what marxist ideology brings to the table - impractical solutions and poverty are the end result.

I don't think people necessarily "salivate" about Colombia, because it has a lot to prove regarding the investment climate after a free trade agreement is passed. But I do know many Venezuelan businessmen are already moving as much as they can to Colombia, and are hoping for such an agreement, so they can invest. Many of them are small timers, people who own small factories, or small construction businesses, but they do hope to find a new home in Colombia, given the lawlessness and corruption in Venezuela.

[Peace Patriot]

3. The only result of U.S. "free trade for the rich" is the rich getting richer.

It simply does NOT "trickle down." And it could not be worse for workers, labor unions and campesinos. You really do live in an "Alice in Wonderland" world where everything the Mad Hatter and the Red Queen (corporate sources) say is true. And it's rather appalling to see this corporate propaganda and utter "free market" nonsense spread around a democratic forum--and even sadder if you believe it. What a triumph of the corporate "Big Lie" you would represent, if you actually believe this crapola.

"Free trade for the rich" has to be forced on countries, by fiddling elections or by brute force. It benefits no one but the rich elite and their multinational partners. It is the ultimate in predatory capitalism. That is why it is being so roundly rejected by countries that have honest, aboveboard, transparent elections. THEY know WHY U.S. "free trade for the rich" in Colombia has been preceded by $7 BILLION in U.S. military aid to Colombia's fascists, and by the U.S. military presence in Colombia, and by the U.S. 4th Fleet in the Caribbean. THEY know WHY hundreds of trade unionists have been murdered by the Colombia military (about half) and its closely tied rightwing paramilitary death squads (the other half)--to eliminate trade union opposition to U.S. "free trade for the rich"--by cold-blooded murder, by decapitating the unions, killing the leadership! U.S. multinationals in Colombia--Chiquita, Drummond Coal and others--have also been engaged in slaughtering labor leaders. It has, in fact, been a killing spree! And it has also included wanton murders of thousands of others--campesino organizers, human rights workers, community activists, political leftists, journalists, teachers and anyone who advocates for the poor or opposes fascist rule. This is clearly the preliminary "cleansing" that must be done in order to FORCE U.S. "free trade for the rich" upon Colombia's poor majority.

Your rosy picture of U.S. multinational intentions in Colombia is mindbogglingly wrong--indeed, so wrong that I can't imagine anyone actually believing it. Even the perpetrators don't believe it. They know damn well what they are doing--enriching the rich.

[Judi Lynn]

4. Colombia kills more union workers than the entire rest of the world altogether.

We've been reading that information for YEARS, as union worker after union worker gets assassinated. THAT'S the big appeal of Colombian labor forces: they are able to keep labor dirt cheap, near slave wages by publicly terrorizing, and assassinating labor leaders who even attempt to organize the exploited class to ask for more legitimate wages, and for safety standards, pensions, etc.

You fail to even give lip service to any part of the truth about this absolute, intractable which has been known throughout the world forever. Colombia is NOT a good place for workers, never has been.