Should the U.S. withdraw from the World Trade Organization

[unlawflcombatnt]

[unlawflcombatnt]

1. Can someone bump this for me? N/T

[sadiesworld]

2. .

[unlawflcombatnt]

3. Thanks, Sadie

:)

[Vidar]

4. The WTO should be abolished.

[unlawflcombatnt]

5. Agreed

I completely agree.

[Nederland]

33. What would take its place? (nt)

[ProudDad]

37. How about

a real free market instead of this fixed deck?

[Quequeg]

6. My vote is "yes". Let's kill it. Here's how Congress voted in 2005:

H.J.RES.27
Title: Withdrawing the approval of the United States from the Agreement establishing the World Trade Organization.

Co-Sponsors
http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_keyvote_detail.php?vote_id=3538
Rep DeFazio, Peter A. - 3/17/2005
Rep Duncan, John J., Jr. - 4/12/2005
Rep Grijalva, Raul M. - 4/5/2005
Rep Hostettler, John N. - 4/12/2005
Rep Jones, Walter B., Jr. - 4/5/2005
Rep Kucinich, Dennis J. - 4/5/2005
Rep Paul, Ron - 3/2/2005
Rep Sensenbrenner, F. James, Jr. - 4/13/2005
Rep Stupak, Bart - 4/12/2005
Rep Tancredo, Thomas G. - 4/12/2005

There are some names in the above list that might surprise a few Democrats. The co-sponsors included 7 Republicans and only 3 Democrats.

Here's the Roll Call for the whole U.S. House.
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2005/roll239.xml

.............. Yeas....Nays.....Present....NotVoting
Republican...... 39.....185........................6
Democratic...... 46.....153...........1............2
Independent...... 1
------------------------------------------------------
Totals.......... 86.....338...........1............8


So, the vote count was 86 votes for withdrawing from the WTO and 338 votes in favor of staying with the WTO... The rule is that every 5 years, the WTO can be voted on... So, it will probably come up for a vote again in 2010... But I don't see why we can't withdraw from the WTO anytime we want to... We should withdraw today!!!

Congressional Scorecards on the Subject: Reduce Unnecessary FOREIGN WORKERS Visas (career) ...........
http://grades.betterimmigration.com/view_list.php3?&Category=5&Status=Career&Flag=4">U.S. House
http://grades.betterimmigration.com/view_list.php3?&Category=5&Status=Career&Flag=7">U.S. Senate

[unlawflcombatnt]

7. Thanks for the link

Quequeg,

Thanks for posting this information. Though 86 votes is a long way from a majority, it's a lot better than the previous vote which I think was in the 30's.

It seems like we ought to be able to get Congress to bring this to vote more often than every 5 years, especially if there is a public outcry.

[Nederland]

36. So....

You are saying that 3/4 of the Democrats in the House are wrong on this issue?

[PsycheCC]

8. Kick.

[area51]

9. kick. (n/t)

[LWolf]

10. Yes. n/t

[yellowdogmi]

11. Yes but

lets use it to legalize pot first. :evilgrin:

[Greyhound]

12. Absolutely.

And since our support is the only reason it exists, our withdrawal would cause its collapse, thus doing the rest of the world a huge favor, and help restore our lost international stature.

[unlawflcombatnt]

14. Good Points

Without the U.S., the WTO would be severely weakened at the very least.

[Infinite Hope]

13. I wonder if anyone here has actually researched the WTO

and I don't mean a little internet research from organizations with a particular view on it. I mean scholarly research for even 10-20 hours. They very likely will still oppose it, but at least it will be an informed decision and they could articulate in a scholarly fashion just why they oppose it. I think most right now would come off not really knowing much at all about it other than sensationalist arguments they've received from biased sources.

Disclaimer: I don't particularly support the WTO myself. I have researched it in my studies, though even my knowledge on it is very limited. I also recognize there may be someone on this vast board who has researched it. This isn't in reference to all DUers, only some.

[Greyhound]

15. Like most evils, it was established to do good. Unfortunately, it is now

simply the carrot dangled in front of a starving person that sucks them into the unending loansharking scheme, just like the Mafia does/did.

[unlawflcombatnt]

19. Perfect Analogy N/T

[Radical Activist]

23. I think its a little naive

to suggest it was formed to do good. I believe it is doing EXACTLY what it was designed to do: lower the cost of production for international corporations and set up a global economy designed to benefit those corporations at the expense of the workforces in all nations involved. It is fulfilling its mission very well.

[unlawflcombatnt]

25. Actually

I think you're right. The WTO was sold to the public as something good. But the real motivation was always labor/wage arbitrage. It was a disguised attempt by International Corporations to allow them to shop globally for the cheapest labor, and then be free of tariffs when these cheap-labor produced goods were exported into the United States.

[Nederland]

34. Not naive

It's just a matter of ideaology really. Many Democrats (like Bill Clinton, for example) believe in the principle of free trade. It really comes done to whether or not you think it's fair to add a tax to a good or service simply on the basis of where it came from. For me, I don't think it's fair, but that's just me. My wife is from Thailand, and I've seen first hand the enormous benefits that free trade has had on South East Asia. While I have problems with letting dictatorships like China into the WTO, but getting rid of the entire organization is a bad move IMHO.

[Hawkowl]

16. Workers Terminated Organization?

Of course it should be abolished. People need jobs and we don't need a special organization designed soley to eliminate workers and enrich the 2% of the worlds population which has more money than they no what to do with.

[sadiesworld]

17. kick

[paulk]

18. no. globalization is going to happen and sticking your head

in the sand is not going to change that.

The WTO has problems, obviously, but getting rid of it is not going to suddenly make everything ok in the world.

[unlawflcombatnt]

20. What WTO withdrawal WILL do

What WTO withdrawal will do is return sovereignty of U.S. trade policy to the United States, and not allow an international organization's decisions to supersede those of Congress and the American people. And thus, trade policy can better be controlled by Americans to the benefit of the American people, rather than by multinational Corporations, who owe no allegiance to anyone except their shareholders and investors.

[Nederland]

35. Sovereignty is a dead concept

its so...20th century.

[Radical Activist]

22. The WTO model is not the only form of globalization.

What the multi-national corporations who set up and run the WTO want you to believe is that anyone who opposes the WTO is against globalization. Bullshit. Globalization will go one with or without the WTO. I want a global economy that lifts everyone up, instead of WTO model that enriches the corporate few while lowering the standard of living for the average person in ALL nations involved, both developed and under-developed. You present a false choice.

[Tactical Progressive]

21. It should threaten to

Until international trade is more heavily regulated and enforced than anything these multi-nationals could have ever envisioned.

You know, like the 'threat' that BushCo said they were going to use as leverage against Saddam.

[Radical Activist]

24. Kucinich was the only '04 Presidential candidate to suggest this.

I write that as a reminder to those who think Kucinich didn't have any impact on the race or that he was just wasting time. It was due to him, and him alone, that this issue was even discussed at all. Kucinich had a bigger impact on the race than a lot of candidates who were considered serious contenders.

[unlawflcombatnt]

26. We should all thank Congressman Kucinich

I think we should all thank Dennis Kucinich for his consistent opposition to globalization and opposition to unrestricted free trade.

[DemBones DemBones]

30. Kucinich will be running in 2008, too, and perhaps more

people will take him seriously instead of accepting whatever the DLC tells them is good for them.

Go, Dennis!

[unlawflcombatnt]

31. Good Trade Positions

Kucinich is excellent on his opposition to unrestricted "free" trade. He's opposed all of the major free trade bills and has pushed for WTO withdrawal.

[OhioChick]

27. Yes n/t

[unlawflcombatnt]

28. Thanks N/T

:patriot:

[PsycheCC]

29. kick.

[zulchzulu]

32. See the movie "The Yesmen"

http://www.theyesmen.org/

It's a must see!