So, are we really saddled with CAFTA?

[coloradodem2005]

n/t

[ulysses]

1. looks that way.

:mad:

[coloradodem2005]

3. Fuck.

:mad: is right.

[SlipperySlope]

2. Maybe the president will veto it?

:rofl:

[Cocoa]

4. the struggle is far from over

says Stop Cafta:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnw/20050728/pl_usnw/coalition_denounces_cafta_approval__groups_in_solidarity_withcentral_american_opposition_pledge_to_continue_the_fight120_xml;_ylt=ApnbNrJ4kGsXFdvMZRGoy3G1qHQA;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl




WASHINGTON, July 28 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Members of the Stop CAFTA Coalition denounced the approval of the US-Dominican Republic Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) which passed by a vote of 217 to 215 in the House of Representatives early Thursday morning.


"This is a tragedy for people in the United States, and even more so for the people of Central America and the Dominican Republic," said Tom Ricker of the Quixote Center. "For three years, we have worked with our brothers and sisters in the region to build a broad-based cross-border movement against this agreement, only to see the Bush Administration and the Republican leadership use dirty tricks to guarantee its approval."


"As we expected, the House Speaker kept the roll call open until after midnight while the Bush Administration twisted arms and bought off the remaining votes necessary for approval," said Chloe Schwabe of the Share Foundation. "This Administration was unable to pass CAFTA on its merits, so it turned to scare tactics and lies, making the absurd claim that rejecting CAFTA would lead to violence and a dictatorship in Central America."


"CAFTA is a sham, and the procedures used to limit debate and win over additional votes are an atrocity," said Burke Stansbury of the Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES). "What we saw on the floor of the House this week was nothing less than the total undermining of the democratic process."


The Stop CAFTA Coalition held a vigil outside the Capital on Wednesday, as part of a long pressure campaign to thwart the agreement, which was signed over a year ago but had yet to come to a vote due to lack of support.


"This vote will not be forgotten by the people of the Americas. It is another example of a policy that seeks to dominate, economically and politically, a region of people demanding democracy and self-determination," said Holly Miller of Witness for Peace. "The people of Central America will continue to resist the implementation of this agreement, and we stand in solidarity with them in the face of this injustice."


CAFTA has not passed in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic due to heavy opposition in those countries. In El Salvador, opposition parties have challenged the legality of CAFTA approval.


"The struggle is far from over. The heightened awareness built by our campaign about the negative effects of so-called "free trade" will broaden our efforts to roll back CAFTA, NAFTA, and the destructive economic system from which they stem," said Andrew de Sousa of the Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala (NISGUA). "We are inspired by the resistance of popular movements throughout the Americas, and we know that we will eventually turn the tide against this abusive system."


For more information: http://www.stopcafta.org


http://www.usnewswire.com/

[wli]

7. Any word of legal challenges to its approval in the US?

[coloradodem2005]

8. Doesn't it have to go through the senate too?

Did it already? I didn't think so, because it just went through the house last night.

[sintax]

5. Yep-Know your Codex Alimentarius-n/t

[eagler]

6. The guy filling in for Limbaugh admits the CAFTA gives away

American sovereignty to the WHO over vitamins and over the counter drugs- to name just one thing. But of course we'll be much better off for it! And this is not to mention- government contracts and American jobs- and all farm subsidies within a few years. Given the fact that by far the majority of farmers are republicans , I hope they are now happy! All I can say is --- YOU ELECTED HIM YOU DAMNED MORONS!

[Metta]

10. (Delete previous post.) I understand it this way.

The deal does seem to give the WHO the ability to regulate vitamins and supplements standards and guidelines. The moving forces behind this are the big drug companies. They want to set those levels to minimal effectiveness, in effect, depleting them of value. Here's the motherload of explanations:
http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/sepp/2005/07/04/codex_alimentarius_adopts_vitamin_guidelines.htm

In an effort to find out who represents the US on the Codex commission, I did a Google search. The first link, www.codexalimentarius.net, only tells that the commission is a subsidiary of the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Org. It shows links to documents and audio recordings of the July 4-9,'05 sessions while the link to expert consultations leads nowhere.

A link from their site gets me to the US Food and Safety Inspection Service which has no information on who the members of commision are.

A search at the FAO's site, www.fao.org, for C.A. got me nothing while a search for the Codex commission gave me only the records from all 21 sessions. That links to a long list of standards, in documents from the WTO, but no links to real informationa and no information about who' on any committee.
http://www.fao.org/waicent/search/simple_s_result_1252.asp?QueryString=codex%20commision&lang=en&publication=1&webpage=2&photo=3&press=5&video=9&department=

[warrens]

9. It ain't CAFTA

It's what comes next. They've stripped trade bills of any protection against floods of imports, worker safety standards, and a ton of other stuff that was part of earlier agreements. They want to use it as a precedent for future, much larger, deals.