Well, the Summit of the Americas in Quebec, establishing the Free Trade Area of the Americas, is long over. Hey wait, did you even hear about the gig in Quebec? Maybe you did, but more likely you didn’t. “Free trade” supporters tried really hard to keep it a secret. They didn’t want you to know that they now rule the world.
Quebec’s meeting was yet another secret tribunal to establish a global marketplace. Concerned citizens (the media usually calls them “anarchists” to make you afraid and angry) were there, but they couldn’t even slightly interfere with the summit, thanks to a monstrous concrete and chain-link fence surrounding the convention center. As a result, the world plunged ever further into the dangerous, unexamined depths of globalization.
It’s not that I’m blindly opposed to global commerce. It’s inevitable, and it could be done right. But here’s the problem: The toxic hot air conservatives huff and puff regarding “free trade” is usually technically true, and that’s how they continue to lie to everyone and destroy the world.
Corporate executives have the media and the average citizen convinced that opening up trade barriers is simply about “raising everyone’s standard of living.” More jobs, more opportunities, everyone’s happy; so goes the propaganda. And nothing could be further from the truth.

Yes, it is true that by expanding international trade, we will create new markets, sell more products and create jobs. Yes, in some countries where markets are opened, the citizens there are happy to have employment. Yes, this occasionally means things such as running water, electricity and some money to slowly build a better life.
I, and most thinking individuals, wouldn’t be opposed to such scenarios. But a lot of intelligent people (oh yeah, “anarchists”) are upset, because a better standard of living isn’t the reason for “free-trade” pacts like the FTAA.
The real impetus for international agreements such as GATT, NAFTA, the WTO and the FTAA is to let businesses become the new world government. There’s been talk in the past of expanding the United Nations’ powers to eventually form an international congress. But the process is slow (people have to vote on stuff), developing countries want a lot (like to be treated fairly), and “externalities” have to be taken into account (like the environment and human rights). That doesn’t please our friendly corporate executives. Businesses want new markets, lower wages, no environmental or labor standards and plenty of impoverished peasants to take advantage of, both as workers and consumers. And they want it now.
Guess what? “Free-trade” agreements give businesses what they want. And you, as a citizen of a “democratic” Western government, don’t get to elect anyone, you don’t have any input on the laws and — best of all — you can’t even know what happens at the “legislative sessions.”
The governing bodies for these “free-trade” agreements almost always meet in secret. Even the FTAA agreement itself, signed by your president (he’s not, I know), George W. Bush, is secret. And these secrets allow businesses to rewrite or eliminate laws passed by your democratically elected representatives.
Here’s a sample illustration: Americans, rightfully concerned about the amount of poisons released into their rivers from manufacturing, pass laws limiting emissions. Greed Incorporated, concerned about its ability to compete globally when companies in other countries don’t have these restrictions, complains to the governing board of the “free-trade” agreement. The board decides that it’s just not fair to tell a company not to poison the water, so it erases the law. Citizens don’t vote on it, there are no public hearings. It’s simply unfair, so the law is wiped away.
I am in favor of free trade. But free trade should mean we raise the standard of living around the world. Wait, isn’t that what conservatives say we’re doing? Then why does “free trade” eliminate environmental laws and labor standards? Why does the WTO (the FTAA will soon) decide that it’s OK for companies to poison the water and exploit the workers in Third World countries?
Corporate executives who use “free trade” to lower the standard of living are callous, greedy pigs. It’s the only answer. They must have higher profits, after all, and right now.
It’s a shame that the media, the government and corporations keep lying to you about what “free trade” really is. It’s too bad that most of you don’t seem to care. Because if more responsible, caring citizens were paying attention, there could have been enough people in Quebec to rip apart the fence of secrecy surrounding “free trade.”
It’s not that I like to see destruction. It’s just that something must be done, or globalization will keep expanding until there’s no standard of living. And when that happens, you won’t even hear about it.