Most of us are aware that Congress has passed and President Bush
has signed the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA)
into law. CAFTA is the latest in a series of international trade
agreements to which the United States has committed itself.
Sold to Congress as promoting "free trade," international
agreements such as the North American Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA) and now CAFTA are actually huge compromises of
American sovereignty and independence for the benefit of wealthy
international corporations.
Consider that since President Bill Clinton and Senate Majority
Leader Bob Dole collaborated to pass NAFTA, nearly 400
manufacturing plants have been closed, tens of thousands of
American jobs have been exported overseas, and the American
people are now strapped with a gargantuan federal trade deficit.
But that is just the beginning!
NAFTA and CAFTA are precursors for an even more egregious
"trade agreement" called The Free Trade Area of the Americas
(FTAA). FTAA would, in effect, all but erase our national borders,
establish a European Union (EU)-style international government,
and even pave the way for a multinational currency.
Adding insult to injury is the fact that many of the mostly
Republican members of the House of Representatives who voted
for CAFTA knew they were defying the will of the majority of
their constituents and were passing legislation dangerous to
America's very security.
Consider the words of my own Congressman, Jeff Miller. Jeff is a
conservative Republican representing the First Congressional
District of Florida. Before his initial election to Congress, I
interviewed Jeff on my radio talk show. He forthrightly articulated
his opposition to NAFTA and similar trade deals. In that interview
he said, "NAFTA itself may be the death-knell of American
agriculture."
In a letter to a constituent dated June 1, 2005, Congressman Miller
said, "I do not believe CAFTA is good for Florida." He further
said, "CAFTA is an outsourcing agreement."
Miller went on to say, "CAFTA will be a market for 'turnaround'
exports-products shipped south for assembly and then final sale in
the U.S.- particularly textiles and semiconductors. Fabric will be
sent to the region, stitched into final apparel and home furnishing
products, and shipped right back to the United States. That's not
traditional job-creating exports at all. Rather than servicing new
foreign markets, these 'exports' serve the same domestic market
U.S.-based factories once supplied. The only difference: American
workers are removed from the equation. Due to Central American
turnaround trade that currently exists, the U.S. trade deficit with
CAFTA-6 countries rose nearly 60 percent from 1997-2004."
Congressman Miller then said, "Still further, at a time when the
U.S. is rapidly outsourcing both its service and manufacturing jobs,
CAFTA will make it illegal for any state or federal agency to adopt
a 'Buy American' policy."
Sounds pretty convincing, doesn't it? It should. Everything Miller
said is true. But guess what? In spite of everything he said, Jeff
Miller voted for CAFTA! Yes, my friends, after rightly outlining
many of the dangers and draconian elements to CAFTA, he turned
right around and voted for it! How could he do this? How could he
betray his home district, his state, and even his own conscience?
You can rest assured that Jeff Miller was not the only
Congressman to sell out America's workers and farmers (not to
mention our sovereignty and security). The arm-twisting that went
on behind the scenes smacks of all that's wrong and rotten in
Washington, D.C.
According to Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX), "Leaving aside the
arguments for or against CAFTA itself, the process by which the
bill ultimately passed should sicken every American who believes
in representative government."
Paul continued, "Yet even after months of unprecedented wheeling
and dealing by corporate lobbyists, congressional leaders, and the
White House, the Washington establishment still failed to pass
CAFTA in the U.S. House. That's right, when the 15-minute
voting period expired last Wednesday evening, CAFTA seemingly
had been defeated. But pro-CAFTA forces were so determined to
get what they wanted, they broke the rules. House leadership
ignored the time limit and kept twisting arms and making deals
until they finally had the votes to pass CAFTA nearly an hour
later."
Ron Paul then said, "Rest assured that you will pay dearly for these
bribes used to buy votes. One of my colleagues estimated that the
price tag for buying the CAFTA vote will be at least $50 billion.
That's right, $50 billion to win a vote. Is that what you want from
your representative in office?"
In conclusion Paul stated, "The CAFTA vote had nothing to do
with the American public, or even trade policy per se. CAFTA was
driven by politics and nothing more. Multinational corporations
and political globalists share the same goals, namely the
centralization of political power in international bodies and the
diminution of national sovereignty. What we witnessed last week
was not just the selling of votes, but also a sellout of American
control over our own trade regulations."
There you have it. President Bush, Republican Congressional
leaders, and lobbyists for multinational corporations harangued,
coerced, and bullied members of Congress into passing a trade bill
that compromises American independence and punishes American
workers and farmers. Beyond that, they used 50 billion taxpayer
dollars to do it! This isn't representative government; it is politics
at its worst!
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