August 02, 2005

CAFTA - Homespun Symposium

This week is the 30th question from the Homespun Bloggers! This week they're asking about the CAFTA:

Today, President Bush is expected to sign the Central American Free Trade Agreement. How do you feel about it and why?

Today on the Rush Limbaugh Show, Dr. Walter Williams entertained a number of callers that were dead set against it...how about you?


The post was posted last Friday, so that's where the "today" references come from. I would think I'm with the majority of Americans on this one when I ask, "Well, what effect will it have?" I don't think this agreement will affect many people directly. And if jobs go overseas, the primary effect of that will be reduced prices across the board, so it's some good and some bad.

However, in the overall scheme of things, I have to oppose this "legislation." I've heard good arguments for it, in that it works to undermine Castro and other tin pot dictators in the region. If free trade can provide freedom to oppressed people, I support it! But I don't think it will. I think the dictators will reap the benefits of this sort of thing while the people will not.

In addition, I really don't see the need for it. I'm in complete agree with Ron Paul's assessment:

We donÂ’t need government agreements to have free trade. We merely need to lower or eliminate taxes on the American people, without regard to what other nations do. Remember, tariffs are simply taxes on consumers. Americans have always bought goods from abroad; the only question is how much our government taxes us for doing so.

Posted by: Ogre at 01:05 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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1 I am still stuck in a conundrum about CAFTA, because it will ultimately decimate the industry that thrives within the community of District 25, but it would tremendously help in Charleston, SC (on the opposite side of the state). I trust that you are dead on that we should lower taxes to spark trade. I am leaning towards allowing each state to make the decision to implement CAFTA. I can't say I would vote for this legislation in South Carolina, especially following the light that you turned on for me Ogre. Thanks.

Posted by: Michael R. Churchill at August 03, 2005 05:26 AM (eqaaP)

2 I was talking to my Congressman last night, and he brought up another good point about this one -- it opens the massive US economy to a market about the size of Greenwich, CT. How is that really going to help us?

Posted by: Ogre at August 03, 2005 05:48 AM (L0IGK)

3 Ron Paul is always an excellent source of intelligent commentary, especially when it comes to the giving away of U.S. sovereignty to unelected extra-national bodies. That's the biggest thing to fear from CAFTA, btw - not anything about free vs. non-free trade or industry subsidies or anything else, but that CAFTA gives the authority to regulate U.S. businesses to extra-national bodies like the UN and the WTO. Of course I can't find the article I read before the vote that quoted the relevant sections of CAFTA that explicitly gave away that authority, but I'll keep an eye out for it and post back if I find it.

Posted by: JT at August 03, 2005 05:03 PM (iXWYc)

4 Excellent point, JT, and that's a good enough reason for me to oppose it.

Posted by: Ogre at August 03, 2005 05:10 PM (L0IGK)

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