Free Yet Sort-of Coerced Trade
Jul 25th, 2005 at 9:58 am by Susie
With some political risk, Bush has put CAFTA near the top of his legislative agenda, meeting personally with dozens of lawmakers, giving speeches around the country, encouraging support from Hispanic groups and venturing into textile country in North Carolina, where there’s little love for free trade agreements.“This bill is more than a trade bill,” Bush said Thursday in a speech to the Organization of American States (search). “This bill is a commitment of freedom-loving nations to advance peace and prosperity throughout the Western Hemisphere.”
Uh oh. Does that mean if Congress doesn’t pass the bill, BushCo will suddenly find evidence of nuclear weapons and invade Central America? Sounds like it:
America’s position as the leader in promoting world stability “could take major steps backward” if CAFTA is defeated, said Rep. Kevin Brady , R-Texas, a leading proponent of the pact. “That’s a pretty compelling argument.”
“Failure is not an option for us,” said Matt Niemeyer, assistant U.S. trade representative for congressional affairs. “The implications of defeat are so much larger than the economic impact of CAFTA.”
“Not an option.” BushCo speak for “we’ll go through the motions of getting a consensus but if we don’t get it, we’ll do what we want anyway.”
