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Topic: Venezuela's Chavez Calls CAFTA 'Perverse'
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Cueball
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 4790
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posted 01 August 2005 08:44 AM
Venezuela's Chavez Calls CAFTA 'Perverse'This guy kills me: quote: Chavez, a frequent critic of the U.S. government, also said he had read reports of President Bush "putting money in circulation to buy votes and to blackmail, through the so-called (U.S.) intelligence agencies, to approve an initiative which is perverse."
From: Out from under the bridge and out for a stroll | Registered: Dec 2003
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fern hill
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 3582
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posted 01 August 2005 02:22 PM
Uh-oh. The Catholic Church has weighed in, according to Voice of America. A cardinal is calling Chavez a 'paranoid dictator'.edited to fix link: web page [ 01 August 2005: Message edited by: fern hill ]
From: away | Registered: Jan 2003
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M. Spector
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 8273
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posted 02 August 2005 02:05 AM
The VOA article says: quote: A vast majority of Venezuelans are Catholic, and Cardinal Castillo says the church enjoys greater credibility than the government.
Apparently in terms of popularity, at least, the Church does indeed have the edge. Chavez has a "mere" 71.8% approval rating: quote: The most popular institutions in the country are the Catholic Church (78.7% approval), followed by the banks (75.2%), the mass media (75%), and Chavez (71.8%). Leon speculated that the reason the banks faired [sic] so well in this survey, compared to the general disgust that has often been shown towards them because of exorbitantly high interest rates, is that interest rates have come down significantly recently, but especially for home loans, largely as a result of government regulation. [snip] Finally, in terms of ideological self-definition, the poll states that 26.4% of Venezuelans support socialism, 15.5% support capitalism, 7.8% support neither type of system, and the rest (49.5%) did not answer or were undecided. Source
From: One millihelen: The amount of beauty required to launch one ship. | Registered: Feb 2005
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M. Spector
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 8273
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posted 02 August 2005 02:15 AM
CAFTA has Nicaragua's small farmers worried as well: quote: Half of all Nicaraguans live on farms; most of them, like Augusto, are small farmers growing basic grains and a few vegetables on a couple acres of land. Under CAFTA, Nicaragua would drop its tariffs on most products, leading to an influx of cheap wheat and cheap corn from the U.S., and a dramatic drop in prices. The National Association of Ranchers and Farmers (UNAG) estimates that as many as 170,000 farms could be driven out of business by the agreement, with a loss of 420,000 jobs. The Nicaraguan government counters that the agreement will bring more textile factories to Nicaragua, but the government's most optimistic estimates promise only 70,000 new jobs, and small farmers are reluctant to give up their way of life for a marginal existence in the city. Source
From: One millihelen: The amount of beauty required to launch one ship. | Registered: Feb 2005
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Hawkins
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 3306
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posted 02 August 2005 11:35 AM
And those 200 Doctors make headline news on the BBC... "The Cubans are coming to treat the poor and offer affordable survices. That is against our right to make exorbitant money off the rich, who now complain at our offices that the slums are getting treatment. They are worried that they soon will have nothing to show for their years of raping and pillaging the country! Give us our rights!"The real big scary thing of CAFTA is the medical drug costs which will sky rocket in centroam. They are bringing drug costs into line with US prices... they already are past the limits of many poor. There are also anti union provisions. And its also going to hit small farmers extremely bad.
From: Burlington Ont | Registered: Nov 2002
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jeff house
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 518
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posted 02 August 2005 01:09 PM
quote: Understandable as the centroam countries were promised clothing manufacturers... and that industry would have to come from somewhere.
Oh, I thought the whole theory of free trade was that no one could promise anyone anything. Instead, the enervating effect of pure competition, the ability to become "more efficient" than the competition, was what created and maintained industry under free trade. So now you're telling me that it all depends upon political favoritism?
From: toronto | Registered: May 2001
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Hawkins
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 3306
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posted 02 August 2005 02:01 PM
From what I read about CAFTA after the Guatemalan protest deaths - the way it was sold to centroam countries would be the increase in clothing manufacturing to create new jobs (mentioned above I think). Something that makes the elites in these countries jump for joy since they get to own/be managers of these factories. The problem is two fold for the poor: one it also comes with the removal of protection for local farmers and they will lose their jobs because of an inability to provide. When they go to these new factories, as someone said there wont be many factories. And since the farms will then be bought up by big companies (if they haven't been already) for more cash crops it will be very hard for the once farmers to be self sufficient in any way.And the benefits are two fold it seems for elites: they get extremely cheap labour for their factories (more workers than work will drive wages down further) and they will get better access to the farmlands for cash crops (if they didn't have enough already!). With the competitive advantage of being closer to the US market than China I can see why they are salivating over this "deal". Though I guess someone may argue "but its good that there will be cheaper food for the poor people!" edited to add: I sorta got and sorta didn't get the sarcastic nature of your post jeff - my mind is going very very slow today! [ 02 August 2005: Message edited by: Hawkins ]
From: Burlington Ont | Registered: Nov 2002
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