Trade deals could be disastrous

[Judi Lynn]

Trade deals could be disastrous
Published 12:01 a.m., Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Contrary to what George Will suggested in June 10's "President puts unions before jobs," President Barack Obama is right to consider stateside laborers in his decision regarding the pending free trade agreements with Colombia, South Korea and Panama. Before pushing these trade deals through, he must also consider additional other disastrous impacts of this trade deal on the working class and the environment both at home and abroad.

Consider Colombia: a nation embroiled in a decades-long civil war. In 2010 alone, 51 unionized Colombian workers were murdered. The impunity rate for these murders is an astounding 96 percent. Passing a trade deal with Colombia would be tacit approval of these human rights violations.

The agreement will also prove disastrous for Colombia's small farmers.

If passed, subsidized U.S. grain will flood the Colombian market and leave at least 400,000 farmers without their previous source of income. Many will be left with two equally unappealing options: become another of Colombia's five million-plus internally displaced people or begin producing the raw material for cocaine.

More:
http://www.timesunion.com/opinion/article/Trade-deals-could-be-disastrous-1422675.php

[OHdem10]

1. The trade deals will pass and it will not be long after, that we will

see jobs moving to these countries.

[awoke_in_2003]

2. they will be passed...

we are done.