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Topic: The EU vs. NAFTA / OAS
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beluga2
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 3838
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posted 08 June 2003 08:56 PM
The European Union also contains mechanisms which, flawed though they may be, are intended to alleviate great disparities in wealth between various regions, through transfer payments and the like. For instance, Ireland, whose economic "miracle" in the 90's was widely lauded, received substantial amounts of cash from the EU, peaking at around 7% of Irish GNP. Needless to say, such notions are utterly anathema in the neocon ideological climate of North America. You sure as hell aren't gonna see Mexico receiving equalization payments from the US in order to reduce the gap between American wealth and Mexican poverty. That would undercut the entire purpose of NAFTA, which is to turn Mexico into a low-wage assembly zone for US corporations. Also, I don't believe the EU rules contain anything resembling Chapter 11 -- I've never heard of a French company, say, trying to overturn a law in Germany thru EU mechanisms. (Of course, they can do that now thru the WTO anyway, so it's kind of a moot point.)
From: vancouvergrad, BCSSR | Registered: Mar 2003
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Jacob Two-Two
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 2092
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posted 11 June 2003 04:50 PM
NAFTA is nothing like a "union". It is just a series of strict rules that govern trade between the countries. No convergence of purpose or structure, just laws that everyone has to follow (which the US don't, but that's another story).As I understand it, the primary thing that the US wanted from NAFTA (and the FTA before it) was unfettered access to Canadian markets, minus the ordinary protections for domestic industry that any sane country has when living next to an economic giant. What Canada got in return was a complete removal of tariffs and restrictions on our exports (which, as we know, didn't happen). The thing was that Canadian exports were already 80% tariff-free before the FTA. Not much of a trade-off for the devestation of the Canadian manufacturing industry once US companies were given a free hand. The EU is a real agreement of common interests, based on the idea that a larger economic field, rather than a lot of little ones, will benefit all Europe. So far, it seems to be working. NAFTA is a high-level scam job, based on the idea that US companies could use their government to pressure other governments to dismantle protections to their own economies, leaving the field ripe for pillage, but keeping the profits safely behind US borders (or, even more likely, in the cayman islands). In this capacity, it also seems to be working.
From: There is but one Gord and Moolah is his profit | Registered: Jan 2002
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