[wordup] wto, nafta, ftaa, fast track ... all bad!

[Adam Shand]

for those that haven't been keeping up with the anti-globalization
efforts, fast track is the evil partner of the ftaa.  the ftaa (free trade
area of the americas) is nafta on steriods.

it's possible to say with a straight face that nafta held the promise of
good things to come for us all, unfortunately none of them have
materialized and now we have the ftaa which basically says the same thing
only it's for all of the america's (north, central and south ...
excluding, of course, cuba ... lucky bastards) and it's a secret.  last i
checked into the ftaa the only government which had released any official
information on the ftaa to the public was canada.

so anyway, enough rambling from me.  if you want to learn more here are
some links, take a second and browse them.

	http://www.citizen.org/trade/ftaa/Background/articles.cfm?ID=1763
	http://www.stopftaa.org/info/info_publiccitizen.html

and of course :-)

	http://www.google.com/search?q=ftaa+nafta

From: Mike Prokosch <mprokosch at FairEconomy.org>
Subject: UFE alert: stop Fast Track!

Dear friends of United for a Fair Economy:

The new bipartisan spirit in Washington broke down when it got to global
trade. The House Republican leadership is crassly using the tragedy of
September 11 to jam an undemocratic "Fast Track" bill through Congress.

Fast Track (aka Trade Promotion Authority) would give the President the
power to suspend Congress's normal rules and pass new mega-trade treaties
like FTAA, the proposed expansion of NAFTA to all the Americas. Rep.
Thomas (R-CA) has written a "compromise" Fast Track bill which he is
introducing today. His bill does not contain meaningful labor and
environmental protections and does not even require US trade negotiators
to come back to Congress with enforceable protections.

Thomas's bill can be stopped. The grassroots globalization movement has
successfully blocked Fast Track till now. Rep. Thomas is bluffing, and if
we can keep him from lining up enough Representatives, he won't even bring
his bill to a vote.

Call Congress toll-free 1-800-393-1082 and tell YOUR Member to vote NO on
Fast Track.  (Enter your zip code to get connected to your Member.) Give
that number out to friends/family/co-workers/neighbors and have them make
the calls as well. Call now -- Rep. Thomas is talking about a possible
floor vote next week.

Some talking points:

-> This is no time to bring up a controversial and divisive issue like
   Fast Track. Congress needs to focus on issues that unites it, as well
   as the responses to the terrorist attacks.

-> Fast Track will set the terms of U.S. trade and investment policies for
   the next 5-10 years and needs a thoughtful and thorough debate.

-> There is nothing bi-partisan about Thomas' proposal, and it does not
   address in any meaningful way the harm that trade agreements like NAFTA
   and the WTO have done to jobs, the environment, and family farmers.

After you have called your own Member, call Speaker of the House Hastert;
tell him how much you appreciate his bipartisanship in the House; and urge
him to oppose Thomas's attempt to break it. You can reach his office in DC
at 202-225-2976 (or call the toll-free number and enter the zip-code for
Hastert's district: 60510).

If you have any questions about how a particular Member is leaning on Fast
Track, call 202-546-4996 (ask for any member of the Global trade Watch
field team) or e-mail mstrand at citizen.org. For more information about Fast
Track, please visit www.tradewatch.org. If you want to read the Thomas
Fast Track bill go to:
http://waysandmeans.house.gov/fullcomm/107cong/tpa/tpa.pdf

Now - let's go to work!

Mike Prokosch, globalization program coordinator
United for a Fair Economy
37 Temple Place, 2d floor
Boston, MA 02111
617-423-2148 x 24
<mprokosch at faireconomy.org>
www.faireconomy.org

Please note our new address -- "ufenet.org" has changed to "faireconomy.org"