The North American Free Trade Agreement and the Consequences (NAFTA, wages, generations)

[J746NEW]

One of the posters thought NAFTA has been a plus for all American's so I thought I would start a new thread to find out what other people are seeing and feel about it.


First, there is a good document on what NAFTA promised and what has been delivered.

I'll summarize it with the main points in it

http://www.citizen.org/documents/naf...n-promises.pdf

NAFTA’s Broken Promises 1994-2013:
Outcomes of the North American Free Trade Agreement

In 1993, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was sold to the American public with
grand promises. NAFTA would create tens of thousands of good jobs here. U.S. farmers would export
their way to wealth. NAFTA would bring Mexico’s standard of living up, providing new economic
opportunities there that would reduce immigration to the United States.

After nineteen years of NAFTA, we can measure its actual outcomes. The grand promises made by
proponents remain unfulfilled. Many outcomes are exactly the opposite of what was promised. Many U.S.
firms used the new investor protections to relocate production to Mexico to take advantage of its low
wages and weak environmental standards and to attack NAFTA countries’ environmental and health laws
in foreign tribunals. Over $340 million in compensation to investors has been extracted from NAFTA
governments via these “investor-state” challenges.

U.S. Job Loss, Not Gain
Projections on trade balance, jobs prove wrong

Huge new NAFTA trade deficit emerges

Services and manufacturing export growth slows under NAFTA

One million American jobs lost to NAFTA

Trade Adjustment Assistance data tracks the NAFTA jobs devastation

Corporate promises of job creation are broken.

Special investor privileges promote offshoring of American jobs

Decreased Wages, Increased Inequality
Wages decline due to NAFTA

Economic inequality reaches new extremes.

Wage losses outweigh cheaper prices under NAFTA.

Devastation of American manufacturing erodes the tax base that supports U.S. schools, hospitals
and essential infrastructure.

NAFTA undermines safety standards for imported food.

Surging food imports overwhelm food inspections

NAFTA fails to deliver on promises to farmers

Corporate Attacks on Public Interest Laws

NAFTA grants multinational corporations new privileges and an extreme enforcement process.

Corporate demands for taxpayer compensation surge

NAFTA cases target health laws, environmental regulations and even the behavior of government
officials.

Investor-state attacks force costly defense of U.S. policies

NAFTA requires access to U.S. roads for trucks without safety or environmental standards.

$2.4 billion NAFTA trade sanctions threat, allows NAFTA
trucks to run over safety and health concerns.

Deteriorating social conditions under NAFTA destabilize Mexico

NAFTA partners lead the world in trade pact attacks on the United States

NAFTA countries challenge U.S. consumer protection rules



The only ones that have benefited from these policies are the Banking, Investor Class and Executives.

When adjusted for inflation, stagnant wages and pay cuts, Americans are paying the same price for goods as before while the above pocket all the profits.

The Transpacific Partnership engineered by un-elected Corporate Executives is going to be NAFTA on steroids.

[J746NEW]

Those that supported NAFTA must also support the consequences of illegal immigration.

It was touted as being good for the economy of Mexico

Immigration Flood Unleashed by NAFTA's Disastrous Impact on Mexican Economy | Common Dreams | Breaking News & Views for the Progressive Community
Immigration Flood Unleashed by NAFTA's Disastrous Impact on Mexican Economy

NAFTA was sold to the American public as the magic formula that would improve the American economy at the same time it would raise up the impoverished Mexican economy. The time has come to look at the failures of this type of trade agreement before we engage in more and lower the economic prospects of all workers affected.

While there has been some media coverage of NAFTA's ruinous impact on US industrial communities, there has been even less media attention paid to its catastrophic effects in Mexico:

[J746NEW]

This about sums up the document. It is all about Executives, Bankers and Investors.
That is all that matters. Not nation, not country, but only them.

The underlying concept: the entire reason for trade is to provide improved lives across borders, not to exploit the cheapest labor and weakest environmental rules. We need to question the widely-held assumption that what benefits American corporations benefits Mexican workers and American workers. An authentic plan for growth and development isn't about further enriching Wall Street, major corporations, and a handful of Mexican billionaires; it is about the creation of family-supporting jobs. It is also about a healthy environment, healthy workers, good education, and ordinary people being able to achieve their dreams.

[katzpaw]

NAFTA requires access to U.S. roads for trucks without safety or environmental standards.

$2.4 billion NAFTA trade sanctions threat, allows NAFTA
trucks to run over safety and health concerns.

Incorrect. Mexican trucks and drivers have been found to be as safe or safer than US trucks or truckers (see link) and are subject to the same safety laws. The Obama pilot program for Mexican trucks has more conditions, checks, and requirements than the pilot program under Bush.

http://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R41821.pdf

[katzpaw]

NAFTA cases target health laws, environmental regulations and even the behavior of government officials.

The cases cited are US companies trying to impose weak US environmantal laws on Canada and Mexico - not NAFTA countries challenging US law or weakening US environmental regulations - just the opposite.

The cases cited under this heading in your article are:

- a US company wanting the right to export gasoline containing the carcinogenic MMT additive to Canada,
- a Mexican city losing a NAFTA case and having to pay compensation for refusing to grant a construction permit to a US firm until it had cleaned up its contaminated site
- a US company getting compensation because a Canadian provincial official was rude
- a US company trying to overturn a Canadian province's ban on fracking
- US company fighting Canada’s revocation of a drug patent for a medicine that its courts found to not deliver on the promises used to obtain monopoly patent rights.

[BruSan]

Originally Posted by katzpaw

The cases cited are US companies trying to impose weak US environmantal laws on Canada and Mexico - not NAFTA countries challenging US law or weakening US environmental regulations - just the opposite.

The cases cited under this heading in your article are:

- a US company wanting the right to export gasoline containing the carcinogenic MMT additive to Canada,
- a Mexican city losing a NAFTA case and having to pay compensation for refusing to grant a construction permit to a US firm until it had cleaned up its contaminated site
- a US company getting compensation because a Canadian provincial official was rude
- a US company trying to overturn a Canadian province's ban on fracking
- US company fighting Canada’s revocation of a drug patent for a medicine that its courts found to not deliver on the promises used to obtain monopoly patent rights.

Oooopsy!

[T-310]

NAFTA is good for my paycheck since Keystone is not being built.

The stuff comes across by train per NAFTA.

[Mircea]

Originally Posted by katzpaw

The cases cited are US companies trying to impose weak US environmantal laws on Canada and Mexico - not NAFTA countries challenging US law or weakening US environmental regulations - just the opposite.

The cases cited under this heading in your article are:

- a US company wanting the right to export gasoline containing the carcinogenic MMT additive to Canada,
- a Mexican city losing a NAFTA case and having to pay compensation for refusing to grant a construction permit to a US firm until it had cleaned up its contaminated site
- a US company getting compensation because a Canadian provincial official was rude
- a US company trying to overturn a Canadian province's ban on fracking
- US company fighting Canada’s revocation of a drug patent for a medicine that its courts found to not deliver on the promises used to obtain monopoly patent rights.

Oooops....

Originally Posted by J746NEW

One of the posters thought NAFTA has been a plus for all American's so I thought I would start a new thread to find out what other people are seeing and feel about it.

It has been a plus. You've lost fewer jobs than you would have lost otherwise.

That's definitely a plus.

If you want to talk about promises that were never delivered:

America’s Broken Promises 1898-2014:
Outcomes of US Imperialism

Billions murdered
Billions tortured
Billions wrongfully imprisoned
Billions raped
Billions denied Free Speech
Billions denied Free Press
Billions denied Freedom to Assemble
Billions forced into servitude
Billions kept in an impoverished state on a par with pre-Colonial America
$TRILLIONS in Capital stolen
Billions denied running water
Billions denied electricity
Billions denied telecommunications
Billions denied roads
Billions denied sewage, waste removal and other sanitary systems
Billions denied free elections
Billions denied opportunities

How's that go? "You cannot tax your way to prosperity."

You invade Mexico and force President Huerta to resign for taxing US companies.

Fast-forward 23 years and FDR is ready to jump out of his wheel-chair and run to Mexico City to strangle President Cardenas for expropriating all US oil company assets for refusal to pay taxes.

You were going to invade Mexico again.

The only thing that stopped you was WW II.

And then you all have the unmitigated gall to whine that Mexico is 3rd World State.

You did that.

I don't which Property Theory you're in love with (Capitalism, Socialism or Communism) or which Economic System you fawn over (Free Market or Command Market), profits are a requirement for growth.

No Profits = No Growth

Mexico is locked into a perpetual ZERO Level Economy, because Americans are stealing 100% of the wealth, profits and resource from Mexico.

What, the Mayans chant and the Capital Fairy descends from the Heavens in the Good Ship Cement delivering asphalt and machine tools and copper wire and heavy equipment vehicles and cash, is that what you thought?

Fast-forward 60 years and you're busting a hemorrhoid because Rajiv in India won't buy over-priced goods from over-paid Fat Union Fred, but he will buy them from Juan in Mexico.

And then in typical egocentric neurotically paranoid fashion, you all think US companies are off-shoring jobs so they can export cheap goods back to the US.

Wrong. So, so very wrong.

The purpose of off-shoring jobs is to sell to the other 6 Billion people on Earth that you all pretend do not exist, not the 300 Million rude entitlement sucking Americans.

$5 Profit is $5 Profit.

Get out your calculator and do $5 * 6 Billion and then $5 * 300 Million.

Which is more?

As an investor, what do I care if the UE Rate in the US is 100% or if Americans only make $11/hour?

I don't, because I'm raking in the dough from the other 6 Billion people on Earth.

Fussing over NAFTA is silly and a waste of time.

You need to be figuring out how to do less with less in the Future.

Plussing....

Mircea

[CDusr]

Taxpayers are paying to upgrade those trucks.
U.S. Taxpayers Footing Bill for Upgrade to Mexican Trucks ...
quote:
The cost for the upgrades to each truck is $1,600, all of which is funded by the EPA and, indirectly, the American taxpayers.

[Ed from California]

NAFTA was the disaster that Perot predicted it would be and wasn't it that idiot, Clinton, who signed it thus screwing America for generations?