Tuesday, February 10, 2004

Australia: Drawing the line for trade

NO FTA FOR SIN

Once upon a "lifetime" there was, [war criminal], Prime Minister named John Howard. Dollar signs lit up in his eyes when he was told that if he got involved in the Iraq war and aligned the Australian Government with the Coalition of the Killing, US and the UK then the money he spent would be returned in a once in a lifetime Free Trade Agreement with the US.

That is why the deal was done! Howard had no choice in the end to hold his hand out for payment to make a deal whether it was suitable or not because we were conned by the US and have spent billions of dollars on the war in Iraq.

Australia's future interests to the US? Under a "historic" trade pact offering lucrative opportunities for manufacturing and the services sector to pay for the war effort.

Howard cleverly held back the agreement until after the Queensland Election then spat in the face of the cane growers the very next day.

The Coalition risks an election-year backlash from farmers after failing to win any concessions for sugar and only minor gains for dairy and beef.

Labor and the minor parties have threatened to block key elements of the US payment for going to war; claiming farmers were sold out as the Government rushed to sign a deal with the Bush administration.

Lies! They knew better there was no rush about it at all. This was a done deal.

Done when Australia went to war on Iraq and indeed synchronised until after the Queensland election because of the concerns of the sugar growers.

John Howard hailed the trade deal as delivering "enormous long-term benefits to the Australian economy".

Nevertheless I'm sure most people in Australian would be willing to do without the "enormous long-term benefits to the Australian economy" at the cost of the "human suffering in Iraq and the hundreds of innocent dead and injured Iraq's".

Given that the pre-emptive strike on Iraq was without UN backing and the fact that no WMD's existed to have caused a threat, then taking the money for payment off the US for attacking Iraq seems more like black money for a pay-out. Payment for a war crime against humanity and of no real long term benefit for Australia but more of a moral burden.

Said to give local car-makers, including the US-owned Holden and Ford, improved access to the world's biggest economy, while paving the way for greater infiltration here of US interests in areas such as film and media.

Question is was it worth it?

The trade deal said to remove tariffs for 99 per cent of Australian manufacturing goods exported into the world's biggest economy.

The Government has not been forced to ditch an earlier commitment to ensure sugar was an integral part of the deal as claimed. Howard ditched it to clinch the deal to pay for the war effort or else where would the money have come from for the war? Out of the budget?

The Government has been forced to ditch an earlier commitment to ensure sugar was an integral part of the deal, because it needed to get payed.

An unapologetic Prime Minister defended the FTA as a "once-in-a-generation opportunity" that would open up massive new avenues for manufacturing and the services sector.

"The planets were not going to be aligned like this in the future, and that was why it was necessary to grab hold of this opportunity," Howard told reporters in Canberra.

But try telling that to the dead Iraq's! Off the planet! Star Wars what's next? Mars!

Mark Latham -- a strong supporter of trade globalisation in the past -- attacked the Government for selling out the country's farmers.

"Based on what we know at this stage, this deal doesn't appear to be in Australia's national interests," the Opposition Leader said. "If we were asked to vote on it today, we would be opposing it."

But he knows better he's just toeing the line. Ask yourself if going to war with Iraq for no good reason is in Australia's national interest?

The proposed FTA will be subjected to an [alleged] searching Senate inquiry in which the National Farmers Federation and other key interest groups will be asked to pass judgment on the framework agreement.

JUDGEMENT: HOWARD'S WAR CRIMES

Howard claimed "significant benefits" overall for agriculture, with almost 70 per cent of agricultural items exempted from punitive tariffs once the FTA comes into effect.

Several government frontbenchers - including Queensland MPs De-Anne Kelly and Warren Entsch - raised concerns about the consequences in sugar industry electorates of the agreement. After wrapping up negotiations on Sunday in Washington, US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick revealed both Howard and Trade Minister Mark Vaile had been told three weeks ago that sugar was non-negotiable.

The impasse on sugar remained despite Howard ringing, [war criminal], US President George W.Bush on Sunday morning in an effort to secure a better deal.

By Sugar Sugar & Money Money 10 February 04

THE MONK: Not only does Howard face an onerous task convincing besieged sugar farmers of the merits of the deal but faced with an onerous task of convincing beleaguered Australians of the merits of going to war on Iraq.

Money, money but no sugar, sugar? If we were asked to vote on it today, Howard would be out, so where does that place Mark Latham? In the money pot, looking behind his back for terrorists, who incidentally will cost us money in defence and for the ongoing war in Iraq.

WHERE DO WE DRAW THE LINE WHEN THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR PEACE?


Related:

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