US-Peru Free Trade Agreement

[one...two...tree 2,762]

This week the House and Senate will begin the voting process on the

US-Peru Free Trade Agreement. Congressional

leaders have scheduled this vote before the summer recess in the hopes

of avoiding public debate that could turn it into

an election issue. This agreement could be devastating to the

livelihood of small farmers, public health, and the regulation of

investment to protect the public interest. In a country where over

half

the population lives in poverty, this agreement

could double the price of medicine within ten years, and 162 percent in

eighteen years. Agriculture is the main source of jobs in rural areas

where the majority of the poor live. This agreement will expose

Peruvian farmers of cotton and basic

grains like wheat, corn, and rice, to potentially ruinous competition

with subsidized US exports. Twenty-five thousand

US cotton producers receive $3.5 billion a year in subsidies from the

federal government. On the other hand, twenty-eight thousand Peruvian

cotton producers receive nothing, nada, zero, in the way of subsidies.

The proposed agreement would remove and prohibit protections that seek

to remedy this unfair advantage. This has already happened in Mexico

where tens of thousands of small Mexican farmers have been forced to

abandon their farms because of cheap

US subsidized corn dumped on the Mexican market. Where do you suppose

thousands of these displaced farmers are going? You guessed it -

thousands of them are trying to get across the border into the US. Do

you blame them?

Please write or call your Senators and Representatives right away and

tell them you oppose the US-Peru Free Trade Agreement.

[Artegal 1]

So free trade causes illegal immigration?

[one...two...tree 2,762]

So free trade causes illegal immigration?

Unfair trade is part of the problem - yes. Economics 101.

[Artegal 1]

Funny we never discussed Illegal Immigration in Economics 101. Now in my advanced Economics course we discussed how war, corrupt governments, labor abundances, lack of education, opportunity, wages, and other factors such as inappropriate technologies and inability to cope with cultural and market change will cause many citizens of a certain country to migrate to other countries. But I have never seen it documented where Free Trade has had any causal link to illegal immigration.

Furthermore you site the example of Mexico which had a long standing history of illegal immigration to the USA prior to any free trade agreements. Also, if it was the Corn Farmers that were the displaced workers--why would these workers be the ones immigrating illegal to the USA. Are there shortages of Corn Farmers in the USA? Seems illogical if our Corn production is such that we can dump cheap corn on Mexico. Also many skilled, semi-skilled, and unskilled workers immigrate to the USA--not only Corn Farmers. They find work in many market segments.

The real causes are many faceted--but Free Trade has had negligible impact on the immigration issue.

[Fandango 1,439]

[gimygirl 0]

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!

you owe me a bottle of wine!

[Ban Hammer 13,334]

The real causes are many faceted--but Free Trade has had negligible impact on the immigration issue.

as peru does not have a common border with the usa, i fail to see how this will increase illegal immigration from peru.

[Fuzzness 2]

I see no problems with this, other than it may hurt Peru's economy.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Artegal, it's really nice that you took one little piece of the post and turned this into a discussion about the causes of illegal immigration. I'd be more than happy to debate/discuss that issue with on another thread. But do me the honor of at least addressing the issues regarding the Free Trade Agreement with Peru. Especially since you are connected by your fiancee.

[Fandango 1,439]

Steven, don't act like he's misconstruing your words....read your article again.

Furthermore...you seemed fine wanting to discuss illegal immi before you got the verbal smackdown...now it's all 'oh that wasn't the point'

cmon...take yer lumps and get it over with

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Steven, don't act like he's misconstruing your words....read your article again.

Furthermore...you seemed fine wanting to discuss illegal immi before you got the verbal smackdown...now it's all 'oh that wasn't the point'

cmon...take yer lumps and get it over with

This has already happened in Mexico

where tens of thousands of small Mexican farmers have been forced to

abandon their farms because of cheap

US subsidized corn dumped on the Mexican market. Where do you suppose

thousands of these displaced farmers are going? You guessed it -

thousands of them are trying to get across the border into the US. Do

you blame them?

This was nothing but a mere mention of one of the consequence from NAFTA. The argument isn't being made that the US/Peru FTA is going to cause an influx of illegal immigrants, but of the types of negative consequences when we have unfair trade.

Key Reasons to Oppose the Peru Free Trade Agreement

http://www.citizenstrade.org/pdf/reasonstoopposeperufta.pdf

Artegal, or anyone willing to debate the reasons for opposing the PFTA, let's discuss it.

[Alex+R 0]

The real causes are many faceted--but Free Trade has had negligible impact on the immigration issue.

as peru does not have a common border with the usa, i fail to see how this will increase illegal immigration from peru.

No common border = no illegal immigration? Tell that to the club down the street filled with dancing Colombians who entered inspected and stayed

* However that was not to suggest that this is the main issue here. This debate really has little to do with illegal immigration. Fin.

[Fandango 1,439]

Steven, don't act like he's misconstruing your words....read your article again.

Furthermore...you seemed fine wanting to discuss illegal immi before you got the verbal smackdown...now it's all 'oh that wasn't the point'

cmon...take yer lumps and get it over with

This has already happened in Mexico

where tens of thousands of small Mexican farmers have been forced to

abandon their farms because of cheap

US subsidized corn dumped on the Mexican market. Where do you suppose

thousands of these displaced farmers are going? You guessed it -

thousands of them are trying to get across the border into the US. Do

you blame them?

This was nothing but a mere mention of one of the consequence from NAFTA. The argument isn't being made that the US/Peru FTA is going to cause an influx of illegal immigrants, but of the types of negative consequences when we have unfair trade.

Key Reasons to Oppose the Peru Free Trade Agreement

http://www.citizenstrade.org/pdf/reasonstoopposeperufta.pdf

Artegal, or anyone willing to debate the reasons for opposing the PFTA, let's discuss it.

It was implied, don't act like it wasn't...

As far as pfta....we got enough to worry about with the walmart-ization here. It's the same thing....so if we can't stop it here, what makes you think we can stop it there?

[one...two...tree 2,762]

It was implied, don't act like it wasn't...

As far as pfta....we got enough to worry about with the walmart-ization here. It's the same thing....so if we can't stop it here, what makes you think we can stop it there?

NAFTA was a failure and it cost American jobs (one issue). It's about learning from our mistakes. Read those reasons on that link and then we can have something more substantial to talk about.

[Ban Hammer 13,334]

The real causes are many faceted--but Free Trade has had negligible impact on the immigration issue.

as peru does not have a common border with the usa, i fail to see how this will increase illegal immigration from peru.

No common border = no illegal immigration? Tell that to the club down the street filled with dancing Colombians who entered inspected and stayed

* However that was not to suggest that this is the main issue here. This debate really has little to do with illegal immigration. Fin.

exactly as i stated. no common border. how many countries in between? how many miles? how they gonna get here, take a boat or walk for months on end? jeesh. it ain't like mexico where they can just walk right in and there is a profitable business running them into the usa.