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From AM Costarica,

Sala IV finds nothing unconstitutional in trade treaty

By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

(Posted at 4:40 p.m. Tuesday)

The Sala IV constitutional court said today that there was nothing unconstitutional in the free trade treaty between the United States and Costa Rica. Two of the seven magistrates thought differently.
This means that the treaty will go to a public referendum that is planned for Oct. 7.

The treaty had been referred to the constitutional court by the Defensoría de los Habitantes and legislators opposed to the agreement.
The announcement was made by the press office of the Poder Judicial.

Opponents had enlited the aid of legal experts at the Universidad de Costa Rica. They had prepared a list of a number of sections of the treaty they claimed contained requirements contrary to the Costa Rican Constitution.

One such requirement was the possibility international arbitration of economic claims instead of suits in local courts.

International arbitration is one of the harbingers of the global government planned by the multinational corporations.
CAFTA is bad news for all but the people at the very top.

You got that ABSOLUTELY right

Don't you think that is an overly broad generalization ?

CAFTA is a 63 page document. How much of it have you read that would cause you to come to the conclusion that "CAFTA is bad news for all but the people at the very top."?

You may well be correct but at least give us some reasons.

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

Irish drifter, That was a quick general statement I gave so I understand your skepticism. Here are some details:

The text of CAFTA is 85 percent identical to that of NAFTA. CAFTA will deepen the negative effects of NAFTA which includes more outsourcing of jobs, more off-shoring and more sweatshops. NAFTA did not help workers in the United States or Mexico and neither will CAFTA.
NAFTA did not lead to more high paying jobs in the U.S. or in Mexico as its proponents claimed that it would. In fact , millions of small farmers in Mexico were displaced and real wages have fallen over the past eleven years.
CAFTA will lead to more job losses and misery for workers both here and in Central America because of inadequate labor protections.
This is all about increasing the power of big companies to exploit workers and pay foreign workers tiny wages and give them no benefits which serves the dual purpose of weakening labor right here too.
They will not stop with CAFTA. Wait until FTAA is passed.
We are well on the way to a global corporatocracy.

Amen, Haywood.

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"The only normal people are those you don't know very well." Joe Ancis

http://www.epinet.org/content.cfm/ib214

According to the Economic Policy Institute, it would seem that there is a real benefit to Costa Rica and the other involved countries, in terms of businesses being set up to assemble components, but the real victims will bethose that lose jobs in the United States as they shift to Central America and the DR. This is kind of governement assisted Darwinism for survival of the fitest, but in the short run it definitely seems to benefit big business and workers in low wage countries while detrimentally effecting those workers in the U.S.

No soup for you

I believe we have already arrived...

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Blue Devil

Pura Vida...enjoying life to the fullest...

What does politics have to do with the price of p**** at the DR or SL? Find another soap box!

Most economists know that the more free that international trade is, the richer all of the countries that are involved in this trade will be. However, for individual workers in these countries, some will be better off and some will be worse off. The net result for individual workers as one big group will be that they are better off. This is great for those that are better off, but bad for those who are worse off. Those workers that think they will be worse off if CAFTA is approved are naturally quite vocal, and thus the politics and strong feelings seen now in Costa Rica. No businesses or workers like competition, or more competition. In Costa Rica the workers that have the most to lose are the government workers that work for monopolies like ICE, Racsa, the electric company, etc. Like nearly all government monopolies around the world, they are overpaid and underworked. There is one group that nearly always benefits from increased competition, and that is the consumer. Although CAFTA is far from being real free trade, it is a big step in that direction, and consumers will undoubtedly benefit.

If most people are out of work, there will be relatively few consumers who will benefit.

_________________
Blue Devil

Pura Vida...enjoying life to the fullest...

Duplicate Post

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Blue Devil

Pura Vida...enjoying life to the fullest...

NAFTA and the free trade with China, India, Russia have proven to be a bad deal for Americans (jobs, health-care, security, etc.); the same will happen with CAFTA - I hope the people in CR and other contries will wake up and will vote it down. But there are always Politician (crooks).
Duessel

If the consequence of CAFTA is a bad deal for Americans what inducement is there for the people of Costa Rica "to wake up" and vote it down?

I believe the people of Costa Rica should cast their ballot for or against depending on what will be beneficial to their country.

If you feel that CAFTA is bad for Americans then look up the members of Congress who voted to approve it and then "wake up" and campaign against them when the run for reelection.

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine