Word: ftaa
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...FTAA would so compromise the ability of nation-states to maintain democratic control over basic regulatory powers, why are 34 of the nations in North and South America participating in the FTAA negotiations? First, most smaller nations, saddled with debt to the World Bank, IMF and northern investors, don’t have much of an option: with poorly capitalized markets, opting out of a trade agreement offered by the North would most likely precipitate a sudden fall in “investor confidence” among foreign investors, a corresponding crash in currency value and a decline in economic...
Given such an erosion of democratic accountability, one can either accept the loss as inevitable or take hold of democracy as citizens of the Americas have always done—in public protest. At a rally in opposition to the FTAA on April 21 in Quebec, thousands of citizens from North and South America will take to the streets and demand a public and accountable negotiating process. Boston will be holding a solidarity rally in opposition to the FTAA this Saturday at Harvard. Beyond the protests, citizens will continue to hold conferences to discuss the possibility of fair...
There are plenty of minefields ahead before agreement is reached on a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). In the wake of the U.S. economic slump, many of the hemisphere's vulnerabilities are more apparent than ever: wildly uneven income distribution in Latin America; a dramatic financial crisis in Argentina; rising levels of crime and pollution; deterioration of such institutions as public education and health in many nations. No agreement is possible without a meeting of the minds between Brazil and the U.S., and that did not seem probable on the eve of the Quebec City summit. Even...
...world beset by economic slowdown and turbulence, political fragility and growing social challenges, no tool is likely to have greater success in regalvanizing growth and prosperity than a successful FTAA negotiation. Despite their differences, the countries of the Americas have never been more firmly committed to promoting such a deal, or to helping smaller, poorer nations cope with the consequences. Many of the widely publicized differences over the FTAA are more tactical than strategic. And many elements that seem to be obstacles to a deal, like the absence of U.S. congressional fast-track approval for trade negotiations...
...Those were among the main conclusions of a panel of distinguished economists and trade experts who met at TIME's behest in Miami to consider the prospects for the FTAA. Despite many question marks surrounding the negotiations in the short term, there was a strong tone of optimism among most panelists about prospects for the deal and its beneficial effects in a faltering economic climate. There was also a firm conviction that the countries of the hemisphere are more strongly committed to the free-trade process than they often appear to be. "It is very important to distinguish substantive difficulties...