Economic Populist Commentary

Economic commentary by a pro-capitalist, economic populist. Demand-Side Economic theory. Consists of author's economic views. Questions & comments appreciated. Dissenting views are VERY welcome and encouraged. Main "agenda" is crafting and advocacy of a "populist" economic agenda. A secondary goal is prevention of an economic Armageddon. Encouraging open discussion of US economy.

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Location: Southern California, California, United States

The author is a physician by profession, and a "student economist" by necessity. The current status of our economy necessitates the latter. The intent of this blog is to explain and discuss economics in layman terms. It is designed to promote thought and discussion. It is written by a layman. Comments and critiques of these theories and letters are welcome and ENCOURAGED. Dissenting comments are also WELCOME! They form the basis for discussion.

Thursday, July 13, 2006

US-North Korean Free Trade Pact

The Bush dictatorship is apparently working on another "free trade" deal with none other than North Korea. This "deal" was initially described in the Wall Street Journal, and reported by David Sirota at his site. Sirota writes: "The broad strokes are simple: the Bush administration and both parties in Congress are considering signing a "free" trade pact with South Korea that would cover a special project in North Korea that allows Big Money interests to exploit the enslaved people there.

This proposed deal goes beyond the other awful trade deals that we've watched the Bush administration and Congress consider recently - it goes beyond the job-destroying Central American Free Trade Agreement and even beyond the proposed trade pact with Malaysia, a country that prohibits a minimum wage. This trade pact "would be the U.S.'s largest pact since the North American Free Trade Agreement passed Congress more than a decade ago." The Journal story, of course, is filled with hedging. No one wants to come out and say this is what the trade negotiations are all about, or that they really want this North Korea piece - even though its obvious Big Money is salivating for it. What they want is the issue to go back into the background and get quietly passed without anyone noticing. They would rather the public ignore the effort to validate the "joint-venture Kaesong industrial complex in North Korea" that "combines South Korean capital with North Korean labor" (read: combines multinational corporate cash with exploitable slaves). By the time the complex is in full operation in 2012, "it could employ more than 750,000 North Koreans" – again, North Koreans who are literally enslaved and barred from leaving their prison."

"But even beyond the geopolitical implications are the implications for American workers – and workers all over the globe. Even considering this atrocious pact lays bare what our government sees our "free" trade as: a vehicle for driving wages, workplace standards, environmental protections and standards of living into the ground in order to pad Big Money's bottom line. Such a deal would force the world’s workers to compete with slave labor. It would rewarding a dictator like Kim Jong Il in that it would create a premium for corporations to exploit his enslaved population. The fact that this is even being talked about as a legitimate consideration inside our governemnt tells you everything you need to know about the hostile takeover of our government by Big Money interests.
"

Working For Change: U.S.- N. Korea Trade Pact

This is actually hard to believe. But in fact, David Sirota gets this information directly from a Wall Street Journal article. The original article, of course, is chocked full of the spin one would expect from the greed-motivated editors of the Wall Street Journal.

EconomicPatriotForum

2 Comments:

Blogger boxcar said...

.genocideorigins.blogspot.com
In 1862 alone 20Million were killed
in a Civil War over land reform and
we are talking about both US/China-

Projections showed it'd take over
1Billion slaves to do Great Plains
states, so the Thrust of Lincoln's
adm. was to Mechanize Agriculture-
Hence, the Land Grant College Act
of 1862 to set foundation for A&M
colleges to Mechanize Agriculture.

In China, slavery won out, so today
we have 1Billion SLAVES in China-
Slaves means work for Slave Wages.

The real problem is there are tooo
many of us primates on Earth now,
what'd we think would happen? Since
we all buy at lowest possible price
don't we realize mfrs will have to
find cheap labor wherever it is?

To compete, companies are haveing
to decide- go outa' business or do
we ship everything to China/Korea?

Met a man who worked for a US plant
that had facilities in Mexico. He
said his $14/hr job was boxed up
along with Mexico plant & shipped
to China- Worker who replaced him
is paid only $14 A WEEK, 40X less.

12:54 PM  
Blogger unlawflcombatnt said...

Boxcar,

I agree with your general sentiment. I'm surprised the Chinese worker is making that much. Many are making less. China has a pool of 100 million transient, temporarily employed workers. These are workers who have NO permanent job, and will work for almost nothing. This pool of very low-waged Chinese workers eliminates any upward pressure on wages from increased employment. China still has far more workers than jobs. Until that changes, China will continue to be a source of almost "free" semi-slave labor.

2:02 PM  

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