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On Jan. 1, 2008 the last remaining tariff barriers permitted under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) are slated to fall. Corn and beans were given the longest (15 years) liberalization schedule because they are at the core of Mexican culture and subsistence. Other key products—including sugar, milk, and chicken, which had formerly been regulated under a safeguard agreement to protect Mexican production, are also included.
The tariff removal ostensibly gives full rein to an open-market trade and investment regime between the United States and Mexico. The idea is that all products now enter into a competitive market that will self-regulate to enhance production, efficiency, investment, and, indirectly, the lives of Mexican producers and consumers.
On Jan. 1, 2008 the last remaining tariff barriers permitted under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) are slated to fall. Corn and beans were given the longest (15 years) liberalization schedule because they are at the core of Mexican culture and subsistence. Other key products—including sugar, milk, and chicken, which had formerly been regulated under a safeguard agreement to protect Mexican production, are also included.
The tariff removal ostensibly gives full rein to an open-market trade and investment regime between the United States and Mexico. The idea is that all products now enter into a competitive market that will self-regulate to enhance production, efficiency, investment, and, indirectly, the lives of Mexican producers and consumers.
Well, the current 'free-market' model pits Mexican peasant farmers against a few giant American corporations that are heavily subsidized by the American taxpayer. Does that sound like free trade to you? Essentially, your tax dollars are being used to force Mexican farmers off the land and onto the road north looking for work. Those whom the small-minded like to call "illegal aliens" are here because we have asked them to come. Giant ag subsidies have been part of that invitation. The same effects of course are felt in many other countries. We are fortunate in one sense that we do not share a long and rather porous border with any of them...
Well, the current 'free-market' model pits Mexican peasant farmers against a few giant American corporations that are heavily subsidized by the American taxpayer. Does that sound like free trade to you? Essentially, your tax dollars are being used to force Mexican farmers off the land and onto the road north looking for work. Those whom the small-minded like to call "illegal aliens" are here because we have asked them to come. Giant ag subsidies have been part of that invitation. The same effects of course are felt in many other countries. We are fortunate in one sense that we do not share a long and rather porous border with any of them...
sag, very nicely phrased, thank you. But- if after we force them off their lands because they can't compete with the artificially lowered imported food we ship over there from our agricultural mechanized combines, shoudn't they grab their pitchforks and over throw their government in protest? If they come up here, that would be breaking the law, after all...and they would be uninvited guests....
Sorry I don't feel bad for them. A lot of manufacturing jobs went south due to Nafta... ie Many americans lost their jobs.. Glad to see Mexico might get a chance to taste some of that medicine. Nafta only helped Mexico and then they outsourced alot of it to China anyway. GOOD for them.
Those whom the small-minded like to call "illegal aliens"
lol, what would you prefer to call people who knowingly break the law? Oh yeah, "undocumented" workers. The "undocumented" part is why they are "illegal". Some people just prefer to ignore the connection.
lol, what would you prefer to call people who knowingly break the law? Oh yeah, "undocumented" workers. The "undocumented" part is why they are "illegal". Some people just prefer to ignore the connection.
Some people ignore the connection that major employers are happy to give them jobs here too. All over the Place. Big Businesses, Small businesses, and inidividuals like Mitch Romney to cut his grass. And that our government listens to all these businesses when planning immigration strategies.
Nope, nobody to blame here at all except the poor brown people.
Some people ignore the connection that major employers are happy to give them jobs here too. All over the Place. Big Businesses, Small businesses, and inidividuals like Mitch Romney to cut his grass. And that our government listens to all these businesses when planning immigration strategies.
Nope, nobody to blame here at all except the poor brown people.
Oh, believe me. I consider any business who knowingly hires illegal immigrants to be illegal businesses. They should be first on the list of people to crack down on and I would prefer fines hefty enough that 2 or 3 violations would shut the doors on a business. However, I don't feel that big businesses being crooked automatically releases illegal immigrants from being "illegal" in being here.
I am 100% for Mexicans and other hispanic immigrants coming here for work. I just want it done legally and we need a lot of policy changes unless we are just going to open the borders and give up.
Sorry I don't feel bad for them. A lot of manufacturing jobs went south due to Nafta... ie Many americans lost their jobs.. Glad to see Mexico might get a chance to taste some of that medicine. Nafta only helped Mexico and then they outsourced alot of it to China anyway. GOOD for them.
IMO NAFTA was good for most of the wealthy and many of the upper middle class in BOTH the United states AND in Mexico, -but was ultimately BAD for most of the working class and poor and small farmers in both countries. -U.S. farm subsidies also HURT small family farmers in the U.S., who mostly are not among those that receave them. That combined with the terms of NAFTA, -definately NOT "free" trade, -is turning out to be a didaster for far more people then it benifits. -Ah, but isn't that the point?
This a class issue more then anything,but great for divide and conqore.
-Emil.
Last edited by bigtallredhead; 12-06-2007 at 10:08 PM..
Oh, believe me. I consider any business who knowingly hires illegal immigrants to be illegal businesses. They should be first on the list of people to crack down on and I would prefer fines hefty enough that 2 or 3 violations would shut the doors on a business. However, I don't feel that big businesses being crooked automatically releases illegal immigrants from being "illegal" in being here.
I am 100% for Mexicans and other hispanic immigrants coming here for work. I just want it done legally and we need a lot of policy changes unless we are just going to open the borders and give up.
Me also up to a point. -And I think NAFTA should be abolished.
But, I also think high levils of immigration actualy tend's to encrease ethnic prejudice. -We would need to make other adustments to how we do things if we had fewer immigrants, but I am sure that can be done. -Many parts of the country and people are good examples of that.
-I do suport a legalization program for the undumented (I think enforcment only is unworkable.), but I ALSO a manditory employee legal status verification program, and also REDUCED legal immigration to the U.S.
-I call myself pro immigrant, but anti mass immigration-!!! -I will NOT be writing anymore about immigration on this thread, however.
Peace, -Emil.
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This is a class issue, not U.S, verses Mexico.
