If they won't repeal NAFTA then they're telling us they DONT give a fuck about the working person.

[Union Yes]

Message received, loud and clear.

[leftstreet]

1. What made you think they EVER gave a fuck about the working person?

:shrug:

[bvar22]

51. There wWAS a time when the Democratic Party DID care about Working People & The Poor.

"We have come to a clear realization of the fact that true individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence. “Necessitous men are not free men.” People who are hungry and out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made.

In our day these economic truths have become accepted as self-evident. We have accepted, so to speak, a second Bill of Rights under which a new basis of security and prosperity can be established for all—regardless of station, race, or creed.

Among these are:

The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the nation;

The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation;

The right of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return which will give him and his family a decent living;

The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad;

The right of every family to a decent home;

The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health;

The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment;

The right to a good education.

All of these rights spell security. And after this war is won we must be prepared to move forward, in the implementation of these rights, to new goals of human happiness and well-being.

America’s own rightful place in the world depends in large part upon how fully these and similar rights have been carried into practice for our citizens."---FDR

[Greyhound]

2. I'm sorry, were you under the impression that they ever did?

:kick: & R

[skeptical cynic]

3. If The Few and their political toadies cared about working people

NAFTA wouldn't have passed in the first place.

Welcome to the growing peasant class.

Maybe it's time for a Workers Party.

[patrice]

4. They will never voluntarily surrender that kind of power & control over "lower" classes.

[Union Yes]

14. But it sure is fun scaring them! =)

Watching them writhe in agony at the prospect of losing total control.

The ruling class has forced a consensus of obedience on us. Collapse of that consensus is their greatest fear.

When we're no longer obedient.

:fistbump:

:hi:

[patrice]

15. "God Bless the Children who Have Their Own!"; they don't need to ASK for nothin'!

[branders seine]

5. That message has been loud and clear since the 1970's.

[Catshrink]

6. They are doing their best to demonize unions.

Note the current slamming of teacher unions. Guess it's our turn.

[WinkyDink]

41. Unions = strength. Unions = living wages; pensions; benefits; work-place rules; safety; etc. OWNERS

AND INVESTORS HATE UNIONS BECAUSE THEY HATE HAVING TO GIVE ONE RED CENT TO THE VERY PEOPLE WHO MAKE THEM, THE OWNERS AND INVESTORS, MONEY.

THE O&I BELIEVE THEY THEMSELVES DESERVE ALL THE MONEY. AFTER ALL, THEY "MAKE THE DECISIONS" and "RISK CAPITAL."

[valerief]

7. That's right. They don't. nt

[mike_c]

8. as long as we keep working, they have no reason to....

eom

[MoonRiver]

9. The dirty deal called NAFTA, has also threatened more endangered species

around the world. This is particularly true regarding the horror of whale hunting. I was mad at Clinton when he signed onto NAFTA and I'm still mad. NAFTA needs to go.

[Union Yes]

11. So true. Never mentioned.

Even by me, and that's been a mistake on my part. I've wrote at least 50 anti-NAFTA op's and never once mentioned the environmental and biological impact of "Free" Trade. I'll be sure to include those topics from now on when I do my almost daily anti-NAFTA rants.

Thanks for adding this very important point. NAFTA and FT are environmental rape.

[MoonRiver]

12. Its my passion.

I also hate what NAFTA has done to the American worker. I'm in education, so I haven't been directly affected by NAFTA, but this country has suffered sorely. Is there any chance NAFTA can be repealed?

[Enthusiast]

46. The whole concept of globalization

is a lose lose for "developing" nations, indigenous peoples and the environment. Only those at the top of a predatory chain benefit at all.

As mired in poverty as the victims were they were still better off before the new colonialists came to their countries to provide manufacturing jobs. And just look what it did to the American worker.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

10. As long as self-identified Democrats keep voting for DINOs

and/or protest the DINO by voting Republican or staying home, the trend will continue.

My grandfather and his friends, who were from Latvia, and therefore no fans of Communism, used to vote Communist when they strongly disagreed with what the government was doing. They wanted the powers that be to note that not everyone was happy.

[blue_onyx]

20. Not completely true

Some of the Democrats who voted for NAFTA aren't people typically thought of as DINOS. Kennedy, Kerry, and Biden voted for it. So many Democrats, even liberals, have bought into "free trade."

[Kaleva]

34. And some so-called "DINOs" oppose and are working to repeal NAFTA

[Freddie Stubbs]

13. Why not bring back the Smoot-Hawley Tarrif while we're at it?

[Union Yes]

16. Have you noticed our spiraling debt since we did away with tarriffs?

I'm not blaming our debt on that fact alone but it's a major player.

A tarriff system only works when government has the backbone to properly enforce it. When corporate lobbyists write regulatory/dereg laws, then enforcement and the law itself get picked apart like fried chicken over time.

Trade deficits grew in the 70's and exploded in the 80's under Reagan. Then Clinton signed NAFTA and our trade deficits continued to explode.

We have record trade deficits with or without tarriffs. With NAFTA, we've killed the middle class.

That's a hell of a price to pay.

That's why I disagree with you 100% on this issue.

[JoeyT]

17. Good point.

And if you're going to prune a tree you may as well go ahead and burn down the forest.

[Elwood P Dowd]

21. And another one falls for the "Smoot-Hawley caused The Great Depression" lie.

:crazy:

[Freddie Stubbs]

23. Caused? No. Prolonged and made worse? Yes.

[Elwood P Dowd]

24. No it did not!

International Trade was only 4% of GDP when that law was passed. It eventually fell to 2%, but even that little drop is misleading because ALL trade was falling, wheather it was international, interstate, or intrastate. The banking/financial system had crashed and no one had any money, so at most that little trade law MIGHT have effected the GDP 1%.Saying Smoot-Hawley deepened or extended the depression is a republican/corporate myth.

My great uncle, the only relative I knew back in the day that had any money, was in banking and investments from the 1920s into the 1970s when he retired. He lived until the late 1990s and would just laugh his ass off when all the talking heads brought up Smoot-Hawley during the NAFTA debates.

[Union Yes]

27. Reason is a beautiful thing. +1.

[Odin2005]

30. OOH, lookie here, a Neo-Liberal Corporatist LIE assumed to be fact.

There is NO evidence that the tariff made the Depression worse. In fact, the deepening depression and burst of Fascism in Europe made the tariffs NECESSARY.

[defendandprotect]

45. Arne Duncan . . . ? Attacks on Teachers Unions . . . ? You're for that?

[pampango]

18. We already had free trade with Canada before NAFTA. Tariffs on Mexico will prove they care?

Why do workers in Europe have it so much better when they have free trade with 30+ countries on the continent? Progressive countries (like Canada, Australia, and EU countries) trade more than regressive ones (like the US). Look it up.

[Union Yes]

19. They operate under a much more regulated Fair Trade structure. So should we. nt

[Elwood P Dowd]

22. NAFTA is an investment/outsourcing scam masquerading as a Free Trade deal.

It has cost us 2 million jobs when you factor in spinoff and support jobs that are eventually lost due to the domino effect after the factories close and move to slave wage countries like Mexico.

[Union Yes]

26. +1

Damn straight. It's time to repeal these disastrous trade agreements.

:fistbump:

[Enthusiast]

49. Exactly correct.

There has been a bunch of misinformation and masquerading going on and it hasn't slowed down with the election of Obama.

[pundaint]

40. The workers in Europe have shorter work days, longer vacations, and have trained their

government that they wont be fucked with. In the US it's "how many more hours would you like for that same salary?"

[Enthusiast]

50. And right wing propagandists

would preach to you that European workers are not free, they live in socialism, while we, here in the U.S. have freedom. It's one of their main talking points. But you know that. I'm just talking.

[amborin]

60. not true, and too baldly stated

for years, many europeans have railed against the "Polish plumber" as jobs shifted to lower wage members of the EU

it's not just the "free" trade but also the lack of worker protections and environmental safeguards

[jaksavage]

25. Even Bill Clinton

has regrets about globalization.

[Union Yes]

33. I was glad to hear him acknowledge the damage that Free Trade has done..

and the damage it's still doing.

I'm also growing weay of after the fact apologies.

Thanks for adding that.

[KG]

37. Clinton, the guy who was supposed to be so fucking intelligent?

[OhioChick]

28. I think it's quite evident that no one gives a rat's ass about us. n/t

[Odin2005]

29. Remember, the Corporate Elites OWN BOTH PARTIES.

Politics is a big show for the masses, to make us think that we still have a voice. In reality policy is made in corporate boardrooms and "our" politicians are just given their marching orders.

Bill Clinton was a protege of historian Carrol Quigley, who wrote a lot about the corporatist forces that really control things and fully supported those corporatist forces. He famously said that the two parties should be as similar as possible so that the people can "throw the rascals out" without there being any significant change in policy.

[amborin]

59. +10000

[flyarm]

31. and if this administration and Obama do not re-instate Habeas Corpus they don't give a flying crap

about the constitution.

The United States Constitution specifically included the English common law procedure in the Suspension Clause, located in Article One, Section 9. It states:

“ The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion, the public safety may require it. "

[Mithreal]

32. And how many more Free Trade Agreements are in the works?

Either last Sunday or the week before, Obama was supposed to go to Indonesia and they are working on a FTA there. There are others in the works, including a deal made with Columbia, Obama's support for the Columbian FTA in exchange for US access to 7 military bases in the country.

I don't see much discussion of these new FTAs.

[Enthusiast]

53. Obama has to know that

,by a huge margin, the American people are against more free trade deals. Democrats, Independents and Republican working class citizens are against more free trade deals.

How could any politician with even a passing concern for his reelection be interested in new free trade deals?

[Mithreal]

57. He's one of the Free Marketeers

[Enthusiast]

64. That's not a good thing to be

in this climate of wholesale job loss, especially in manufacturing. By now I think all Free Marketeers would reconsider their position.

[Kaleva]

35. List of sponsers and co-sponsers of H.R 4759 (repeal NAFTA)

Rep. Gene Taylor
Rep. Michael Arcuri
Rep. Joe Baca
Rep. Roscoe Bartlett
Rep. Bruce Braley
Rep. Michael Capuano
Rep. Jerry Costello
Rep. Peter DeFazio
Rep. Bob Filner
Rep. Raul Grijalva

Rep. Phil Hare
Rep. Maurice Hinchey
Rep. Walter Jones
Rep. Steve Kagen
Rep. Marcy Kaptur
Rep. Dale Kildee
Rep. Larry Kissell
Rep. Dennis Kucinich

Rep. Eric Massa
Rep. Mike McIntyre
Rep. Michael Michaud
Rep. Ronald Paul
Rep. Mark Schauer
Rep. Fortney Stark

Rep. Bart Stupak
Rep. Peter Visclosky
Rep. Charles Wilson
Rep. Lynn Woolsey


Latest Actions

Mar 4th 2010 Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Contact info:

Committee on Ways & Means
U.S. House of Representatives
1102 Longworth House Office Building
Washington D.C. 20515

Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

e-mail: http://waysandmeans.house.gov/singlepages.aspx?NewsID=10470

List of committee members:

http://waysandmeans.house.gov/singlepages.aspx?newsid=10462

[glowing]

36. Its honestly time for a big F U to the idiots in DC and their corporate masters.

What would happen if for one month the American people took a "holiday" from paying their bills? No c.c., no cable, no power, no mortgage, nothing.... Just one month would have them begging us to "do right" and incentivize us to pay again... Money is power, and they cannot live unless we pay for their gigantic services.

[HillbillyBob]

44. This action may seem like a small thing, but when you are

little person with low income and no voice.
BOYCOTT everything. Not a big stretch for us since we can barely make housepayments, car payments yea it's and import brand, but made here, since none of the murkin makers wouldn't finance us and their cars were shit anyway and got poor mileage and our 19yr old Chrylser minivan finally got to where new parts were not to be had.
We buy very little that is imported yea the puter and tv are, can you find American Made? We don't buy imported foods, we try to buy from local farmers and we grow food. I have been only buyin clothes rarely since you can't find American Made anymore not even Levis or Wrangler are made in the USA and those were local to here manufactures.
We don't use credit cards much. We did by a locally made honda/cub cadet tiller this year to replace the old one that died.

The corpse shills have us over a barrel how do we overturn their barrel?

[glowing]

66. If everyone did this in unity, there isn't much they could do to us... However, I wouldn't advocate

not working or doing "life", just not paying the bills that come in that month. Enough of us doing that would create the fastest reforms we could hope to achieve... Esp banking and ins. reforms.

Its not exactly like they would want to ruin every American's credit score. Unity is the key... Instead of the looney toons taxpayer revolt (which hurts them).. its a corporate revolt to free ourselves from their very undemocratic ways.

[jeanpalmer]

70. Credit card holiday

That has a nice ring to it.

[Golden Raisin]

38. News Flash: They don't.

Workers, along with the rest of the electorate, now exist only to cyclically pop up out of their holes when they are needed to participate in the charade elections have become and "vote" to send our detached and disconnected millionaire Congresspeople back to the insular, isolated world of the Beltway.

[MrScorpio]

39. I'd love to see more and more working people like you call for its repeal

Like millions and millions of workers in loud and vocal opposition against NAFTA.

Like a social movement. you know?

Unless that happens, I won't expect any change.

[wildbilln864]

42. k&r! nt

[KG]

43. let's be clear here about the dem party. it took a liberal/populist turn in the 1960's when it was

convenient.

[defendandprotect]

48. Not sure exactly what you mean because ....

the coup on JFK depended upon having LBJ in the White House to enforce the

cover up/Warren Commission.

We suffered further assassinations and attempts on liberal politicians -- i.e.,

MLK, Jr., RFK -- Wallace, to clear the way for Nixon -- all underinvestigated,

and covered up.

The Civil Rights movement suffered great violence to stop it -- including bombings --

assaults, and deaths -- and infiltration by FBI and Cointelpro.

And from moments after the JFK coup, LBJ moved the Vietnam war forward for the JCs --

Rather it was a turn from the liberalism of FDR/New Deal . . . and that turn from liberalism

began under Truman, the man who succeeded one of the greatest liberals, Henry Wallace!

And the often voiced "confusion" of the Democratic Congress about Vietnam and why that

problem couldn't be solved also spoke for the move to the right!


True LBJ stopped the bombing to try to provide an opportunity for peace meetings and

Hubert Humphrey's election, but Nixon worked behind the scenes -- illegally -- to keep

that from happening. Was there ever a "Southeren Strategy" or was there only elections

stolen by computer? Both the large computers used by MSM and the individual voting

computers began to come in during the mid-and-late 1960's.

[Recursion]

47. Even if they did, they like Big Agri more

NAFTA is a scheme whereby agriculture companies dump their subsidized crops on Mexico, and manufacturers dump their unsafe factories in Mexico. (Some) Mexican people get jobs. Lots of Mexican farmers lose jobs. Americans get cheaper plastic crap. Mexicans get cheaper unhealthy food. It's like one big abusive family.

[bvar22]

52. We "reformed" the Democratic Party the Old Fashioned Way!

.
.
.
.
.
We BOUGHT it!

Hahahahahahaha!

[Enthusiast]

54. I don't have to think it over

any longer. We need an American Worker's Party to protect our interests. As fed up as everyone is volunteers should be easy to come by.

[laughingliberal]

58. +1000 nt

[sam sarrha]

55. all NAFTA did was loot millions of jobs which the Mexican Oligarchs outsourced to China, making 1

guy richer than Bill Gates, not having done anything to help either country.. not having added one cent of Value to anything.. it is a total failure in Mexico.. but succeeded very well in gutting the Middle Class here.. looting billions of dollars in taxes, adding to the bankrupting several states.. and it isn't over yet

i lived in El Paso, wife and i lost 5 jobs to Mexico.. all but one went out of business shortly after

[grahamhgreen]

56. Repeal? Obama refuses to even address the issue of NAFTA, or GATT, or the WTO.

[Mithreal]

61. +1 Wouldn't be prudent. Instead he is escalating FTA's.

[kentuck]

62. They won't repeal it...

because they think all we need to do is sell them more shit so there will be a more level playing field bullshit...

[tritsofme]

63. I don't think that will be happening.

Thanks for playing though.

[Edweird]

65. I think you are confusing 'indifference' with outright malevolent hostility.

It's not 'oops, you guys slipped through the cracks', it's "Fuck You".

[upi402]

67. +1^ n/t

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

68. What scares me is that you think repealing NAFTA will fix anything.

Repealing NAFTA isn't going to bring a single manufacturing job back to the US. It'll just move somewhere else. The major immediate effect of withdrawing from NAFTA would be to cripple the Mexican economy (and in case you haven't noticed what's been going on down there, we really don't want to be doing that now, as we have a vested interest in their stability.)

[jeanpalmer]

69. When word leaked during the campaign of Goolsbee

reassuring the Candadians that Obama's talk of reforming NAFTA was “more reflective of political maneuvering than policy,” it was clear we were screwed. We've heard nothing but the continued giant sucking sound since the election.