Congressman Adam Smith (D-WA) asked me to weigh in on the pending Korea-US Free Trade Agreement. Like most FTA's it is agreed to in closed door meetings and finding out the facts about what it would do is oftentimes difficult to find, if not grasp. I'm still working on an official letter regarding America In Solidarity's position (and please help if you are interested), but here is what I emailed his aide regarding it:
I still have not had time to craft a letter to Adam about the Korea FTA. I haven't had time to do a lot of research to back up with facts my working hypothesis. While I think the KORUS would open up lots of opportunities for some parts of our economy (beef, farming, natural resources), we are concerned that this will result in an even larger trade deficit. The difference in wages will result in even more losses in American
manufacturing and at some point we can't continue to "reeducate" by the millions because there are no jobs to replace those we lost. I hate being against every agreement because there is the simple fact that
my livelihood (as does your husband's, father's, etc) benefits from trade, but I think there has to be a better way because I think these trade agreements benefit only the corporations, infringe upon worker's,
environmental and community rights, and gives too much influence to organizations like the WTO, that don't have our interests at stake.
Sometimes, when its hard to decide which side of the fence to be on, I look at who wants these agreements and who doesn't and I am quite weary of the players that are always pushing fta's and the liberalization of the markets. I recently read Naomi Klein's "Shock Doctrine" and it scares me that the next wave of profit for the few is the United States. Anyway, I respect Adam's interest and knowledge on the subject, and I really respect that he wants our opinion and seems open-minded on the subject, so I'll craft a letter soon, but if he needs a quick answer feel free to forward him these thoughts.
-Todd
Todd Iverson
President and co-founder, America In Solidarity
www.americasolidarity.org
