Canada Election Issue - Out Of Nafta

[maplesyrup]

Canada should get out of these trade deals, such as free trade which certainly isn't free, and NAFTA.

We are being bullied by our American cousins too much over issues such as our softwood lumber, our culture, our cattle industry. and this race to the bottom in wages by the Wal-Marting of Canada. .

BC is allowing children 12 years old to work. Has anyone heard of Charles Dickens?

It is not in Canada's interest to remain. We should pull out now.

Edited January 8, 2004 by maplesyrup

[Neal.F.]

I question all the existing free trade agreements. The worst offender being GATT/WTO.

For one thing, it faciliatates the exporting of Canadian and American jobs, and for another it diminishes the sovereignty of nations.

While I am in favour of lower tarrifs and duties, I do not like any suprantional organizations whether it be the WTO, UNO, or International crimininal court.

The UNO gives too much power to socialist bureaucrats while WTO gives too much clout to greedy CEOs.

Frankly I'm disturbed by the shipping of manufacturing jobs to India, China, Vietnam etc. The strength of the west has always been rooted in its manufacturing capability. what happens when all our factories are closed, and everything is shipped back from China?

I read somewhere about 2 years ago, that US military berets were being manufactured in the People's Republic of China!

The day that the West loses the upper hand in manufacturing is the day it lays itself prostrate before its enemies in the world.

You are right. The greedy Corporate CEOs get richer and richer by sacking our workers, and shipping jobs, both manufacturing and hi-tech to the third world. As was said on CNN last night, if this continues, the US will be home to people who work at McDonalds and shop at WalMart. While rich executives live in fabulous wealth in gated communities.

and the rich execs won't get the last laugh. I can assure you that history will repeat itself when the workers to whom the jobs have been exported will start to demand better working conditions, and we have seen the violent insurrections that have happened since the industrial revolution took place. Human nature has not changed with respect to the fact that everyone wants their share of the pie.

at the end of the day, though, if indeed National Security is a real concern of western governments, they will have to sit down and take a long hard look at the policies that have led to this potentially extremely dangerous situation.

Trade and commerce must be encouraged, but not at the expense of the countries and values that permitted trade and commerce to thrive, and entrepreneurial opportunities to be avaiable to those who have the drive to do something.

We need to encourage the downfall of tyrannical dictaorships worldwide, that are propped up by American, British, canadian corporations, who set up in those countries, creating the illusion that communist dictatorships, mixed with the right amount of tolerated capitalism, actually DO work.

Where do you think Putin is getting the idea he can get away with re-establishing dictatorship in Russia again?

Yes to free trade, but not on a global level overseen by suprantional organizations, but rather each country working out its own deals with another.

[Rob1963]

You guys sound like David Orchard fans.

[Neal.F.]

No. Not Orchardites. just people who are sick and tired of watching "court TV" on a global economic scale.

I do NOT trust Supranational organizations.

Anyone want to speculate on what happens when you cannot be protected in your own country under anglo-saxon law?

When authority rests with one-world body, where can you turn for refuge?

I can't speak for maple syrup, but I would identify more with Pat Buchanan on these issues than David Orchard.

[RB]

NAFTA was a trade deal made in America and like any adjustments some industries become victims. if the potential to increase the GNP even 3-8% i believe the economic benefits is outweigh.

canada is by far more dependant on the US market than vice-versa. in fact while the US continues to look globally, canada remains in this hub with the US

i have had the opportunity to operate on an expansionary global scale with NAFTA ... trading/distributing tonnes of product between Mexico, most of the states in the US, Canada and also movements worldwide. when Chile entered into the FTA zone an entire new market became immediate to "exploit" or rather explore and diversification to "pesquera" fishmeal and fishoil became a sought after business. so i can only comment about a resultant good of FTA.

if efficiency, new business, competition, increase in scale of production and solving trade disputes were part of the deal it was accomplished. sometimes we have respect government and their politics and so bonus points to a reactionary Ministry of Agriculture - Ottawa who were always reliable and knew how to settle problems before they really escalated into nightmares

i don't see how we are put into a weak and dependant position with NAFTA, we have not started to think global policy or on a global scale. well maybe here is what is weak with NAFTA, we as canadians are locked into these trade laws because we somehow can keep changing and adding to our legislatures to become "law of the land", that law usually did not apply to the US.

but if you say that the US have an agenda with NAFTA i agree, because that is increasingly evident.

- the US is dependent on world economies

-japan and europe is posing an economic hegemony challenge

-so in order to gain competitive and economic influence

-just lock Canada and Mexico into an American model