Full Text of NAFTA right here:

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

http://www-tech.mit.edu/Bulletins/nafta.html

Article 102: Objectives

1. The objectives of this Agreement, as elaborated more
specifically through its principles and rules, including national
treatment, most-favored-nation treatment and transparency are to:

(a) eliminate barriers to trade in, and facilitate the
cross border movement of, goods and services between
the territories of the Parties;

(b) promote conditions of fair competition in the free
trade area;

(c) increase substantially investment opportunities in
their territories;

(d) provide adequate and effective protection and
enforcement of intellectual property rights in each
Party's territory;

(e) create effective procedures for the implementation and
application of this Agreement, and for its joint
administration and the resolution of disputes; and

(f) establish a framework for further trilateral, regional
and multilateral cooperation to expand and enhance the
benefits of this Agreement.

....

Not a word about raising living standards, not a word about protecting the environment, not a word about creating jobs, not a word about HUMAN RIGHTS. Notice that "intellectual property" - i.e., corporate monopolies on ideas - is right there.

Who is this treaty designed to benefit?

[Armstead]

The rest is superfluous

These are the two bottom line goals:

c) increase substantially investment opportunities in
their territories;

(d) provide adequate and effective protection and
enforcement of intellectual property rights in each
Party's territory;

Any political, social or economic policies that interfere with the investor class is to be overriden. That includes pesky regulations, government buying policies and anything else that stands in the way of Capital Uber Alles. THAT is the goal.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

3. the "intellectual property" thing is getting scarier

When your own genetic code can be owned by a corporation, perhaps we need to re-think some things.

[kiahzero]

1. Funny,,,, you hate one candidate

who supports adding environmental and worker protections to NAFTA. He also did a significant amount of work on Kyoto for roughly 10 years, IIRC.

But he's "Bush-lite", so it doesn't matter, right?

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

2. that candidate is the reason why there are no protections in NAFTA

Kerry may be fooled by Bush's lies, but I'm not fooled by Kerry's. Kerry worked very hard to make sure that NO environmental and worker protections were in NAFTA the first time.

So he changed his mind? Now he wants to add in the provisions he didn't want in the first time? How stupid does he think we are?

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

4. kick

hey, at least it's not about The Passion!

[bluedog]

5. question who

wrote the bill and did it have any piggy back bills with in the context of it...you know.they like to put 1 bill up and add others...so the rep is between a rock and hard place...he wants one but not the other...haven't we seen that happen...

[Tinoire]

6. Just skimmed the chapters. Only a bunch of crooks could have blessed that

absolutely disgusting.

Thanks for posting this.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

7. so very obvious isn't it?

This is an international government by and for corporations.