Wednesday, December 12, 2007

We Are Screwed--Time to Grow Your Own

U.S. Trade Agenda
The United States is working to open markets globally in the Doha WTO negotiations; regionally through the APEC forum and the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) negotiations; and bilaterally with FTAs. Since 2001, FTAs with Australia, Chile, Jordan, Morocco and Singapore have entered into force. The Bush Administration has also concluded negotiations with Bahrain, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Oman, Peru and now Colombia. Negotiations are under way or about to begin with ten more countries: Ecuador, the Republic of Korea, Panama, the five nations of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates. http://www.ustr.gov/Document_Library/Press_Releases/2006/February/United_States_Colombia_Conclude_Free_Trade_Agreement.html

(The above link is written by someone pro-free trade and their agenda is not to be mistaken.) Now, this is a .gov site that describes its goals in terms of EXPORTS only and no import data. This is scary. They are basically trying to play us for fools. Without that data, the export data is meaningless. We are basically going to ship all of our jobs away to every point on earth. We will be producing nothing very soon. In addition, because we now import nearly everything, including food, we are at the mercy of other governments to control quality and safety. As we have seen recently with both the pet food poisoning that killed nearly 40,000 US pets, and also with the China toy scandal where lead paint was used on toys imported into the USA, we are now in serious physical and financial danger.
Due to the Bush administration's lack of controlling what comes in by properly funding the agency's that are to examine and test these imports, we are now playing Russian roulette with our lives. Not only that, but none of this is understood or reported en masse, and therefore the public at large is not in the know. If you have a business that will be affected by having to compete with how cheaply labor is in other nations and or the fact that many countries provide free health care-something we do not-does this make you think twice about your Republicans in office? Please, please do not vote for them. I swear we are going to be dealing with our own version of a Great Depression unless we repeal this behavior. Mark my words. Without a democrat in office that isn't corruptable by big money, it will be criminal business as usual folks. Just watch your government take and take and take from you.

According to Global Citizens Trade Watch report: http://www.citizen.org/documents/FoodSafetyReportFINAL.pdf
Most imported foods that end up on our plates are unexamined and untested: 11% of imported proteins, such as beef, chicken and pork, and less than 2% of seafood. Meanwhile, nearly all of the seafood we obtain is now imported. Also, it is usually just VISUALLY checked. It all makes me ill. This is a recipe for serious food borne illnesses and deaths. There is too much info to post here, so please make sure to read the link provided. I don't normally ask you to do so, as I try to get all the important data for you, but this one is ALL important and I don't want to infringe on their rights. It has much more information including just how far these political criminals will go to line their pockets by big business. It sickens me to no end. Perhaps it is time for us all to start our own gardens? If I had a piece of land to grow on, I would be doing so NOW. Add this little tidbit if you still aren't convinced: the implementation of a federal law passed in 2002 requiring country-of-origin labeling on beef, pork, lamb, fresh fruits and vegetables, seafood and peanuts has been delayed time and time again by intense industry lobbying. (Data taken from above link)

What will be another posting for another time, but very related to this one is the radioactive materials that will be recycled into consumer products. This predatory capitalism is being unchecked. Will it ever end? Please vote for Kucinich. He is our only hope. Here is the link for some information about what I will discuss next time: http://www.nirs.org/factsheets/radrecycleupdate3-01.htm

Time for bed. I may update this posting tomorrow. There was not much ranting or bitchiness tonight, more like fact city. Can't all be piss and vinegar, now can it? Especially when I am half asleep.
Kisses, LRWB

No comments: