Free Trade Idols: NAFTA, CAFTA, FTAA

Nathan Tabor Copyright 2005 Nathan Tabor



Within a matter of weeks, our representatives in Congress will be on the verge of approving the pending Central American Free Trade Agreement, also known as CAFTA. I believe that the passage of this legislation, which could come up for a vote as soon as late June or early July, would be a tragic mistake for America.

I also personally believe that the idolatrous worship of so-called Free Trade, within the ranks of nominal Conservatives in the Republican Party, is a modern-day Golden Calf that will ultimately bring an economic curse upon our country. I realize that is a highly inflammatory statement, so let me clarify my position.

I, too, firmly believe in Free Trade — in the sense that the great Classical Liberals of yesteryear, visionary statesmen like Adam Smith and John Locke, understood the term. But I also believe in FAIR Trade, and that is the real issue at stake today.

Honest competition is the beating heart of capitalism, and I endorse it. But as a small businessman, I know firsthand just how hard it is for American businesses to remain competitive when the global playing field isn’t level.

The highly controversial CAFTA trade pact was negotiated over a year ago with the strong backing of the Bush Administration, but its supporters knew they didn’t have the votes to ram it through Congress before last year’s Presidential election. Now, ever since Inauguration Day, G.O.P. lawmakers have been high-pressured by the White House to pass CAFTA as soon as possible.

International treaties ratified within the past decade or so have established the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), the World Trade Organization (WTO), and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The net result of ALL of these ill-advised documents is to diminish the productivity of the U.S.A., severely limit our national sovereignty, compromise our borders, subject our people to the non-appealable dictates of an unfriendly international tribunal, impoverish many of our communities, and transfer ever-increasing portions of our national wealth abroad.

All of these objections apply equally to CAFTA, as do the outright deceptions used to lure the U.S. into these internationalist entanglements. Even the “Free Trade” label is misleading. As with NAFTA before it, the CAFTA pact would NOT promote Free Trade but rather highly regulated trade, subject to the rules of the WTO — which has already proven itself to be biased against and hostile toward American interests.

Perhaps the greatest danger from CAFTA is that its globalist sponsors view the treaty as a steppingstone to a hemispheric union under a Free Trade Area of the Americas — a major expansion of NAFTA — and eventually a real Global Government.

These and other dangers of CAFTA are well documented in “CAFTA: Exporting American Jobs and Industry,” by William Grigg, published in the April 18 issue of The New American magazine. Please take a few minutes to carefully read this article and other valuable resources at www.stopcafta.com .

I am especially pleased with the unequivocal statements made by my own NC 5th District Congresswoman Virginia Foxx, who is an outspoken opponent of CAFTA. “Most of the people in my district are very opposed to CAFTA for economic reasons,” Foxx told The New American. “I have concerns about our involvement in any kind of international arrangement of this sort that undermines our sovereignty — whether it’s NAFTA, CAFTA, the WTO, or certainly the United Nations.”

CAFTA still faces stiff resistance in the House, partially because of understandable economic opposition from the textile industry and sugar producers. But as CAFTA heads toward a floor vote, its globalist architects are desperately working to push the scheme through Congress. If you are convinced, as I am, that passage of CAFTA would be a tragic mistake for America, then I urge you to take action quickly.

The key to defeating CAFTA is to let our representatives in Congress know that their constituents are informed about and opposed to CAFTA, and are watching how they vote on this crucial trade pact. Be sure to contact your own Congressional Representative at http://www.house.gov/ and register your opinion on this critical issue.

It’s not too much to say that the long-term survival of our sovereign Republic is at stake. The radical thing Congress needs to do is lower taxes and regulations on American businesses. Doesn’t that make sense?



About the author:
Nathan Tabor is a conservative political activist based in Kernersville, North Carolina. He has his BA in Psychology and his Master’s Degree in Public Policy. He is a contributing editor at www.theconservativevoice.comContact him at Nathan@nathantabor.com