Free Trade?
September 28, 2009 by admin
Filed under Archived Posts
July 7, 2008
What’s Up with Free Trade in Colombia?
On radio interviews I am frequently asked about the “free trade agreement” the Bush administration is trying to hammer out with Colombia and about John McCain’s recent trip to Colombia. Here’s my answer in a nutshell:
Nine countries in Latin America have recently voted in presidents who are saying “no” to staying the course with international policies that allow foreign corporations to exploit human and/or natural resources. These democratically elected presidents have gone on the record of not seeking US aid but instead asking for reversals in policies, including “free trade agreements,” that have been very destructive to their economies — and resulted in a huge influx of immigrants to the US.
Colombia is a major exception. Washington’s push for a new trade agreement with Colombia is an attempt to bolster the Uribe administration — a president who is held in very low esteem throughout most of Latin America and is seen (along with Mexico’s Calderón) as one of the last of the old “Washington puppets.”
Uribe infuriated many Latin Americans when he illegally sent troops into Ecuador to assassinate FARC representatives who reportedly were there to try to negotiate hostage exchanges and a peace deal. I was traveling in Central America at the time and heard first-had the anger directed at the Colombian president for the way he ignored Ecuador’s sovereign rights and escalated hostilities.
This “free trade agreement” is Washington’s desperate attempt to shore up one of its few remaining Latin puppets and at the same time tilt the playing field even further in favor of the big corporations.
What you can do: Speak out against “free trade agreements” that are written to help multinational corporations exploit other countries. Email your representatives and the corporations whose goods and services you buy. Tell them you know that what is best for the US are strong Latin American economies where local resources are channeled to the poor through health, education and other social services.
John
~Don John Perkins se necesita traducir sus videos al español(subtitulados), yo vi uno en alemán y muestran mas cosas que en espanol no sale.
Creamos conciencia para un mundo mejor. Les doy un ejemplo: CHILE tiene las reservas de cobre mas grnades del mundo y las multinacionales, sucursales de exxon mobil o BHP Billiton o Barrik Gold , no pagan impuestos, y para mi sorpresa los politicos en chile los apollan.No quieren vivir lo de Allende.
Ganan billones de us dolares y en mi pais nadie dice nada, es completamente absurdo, incomprensible y ademas ponen a chile como ejemplo y argentina esta firmando tratados mineros con barrik gold antes de que termine el periodo de fernander. Estos tratados ya fueron firmados por FREI y MENEM..LAGOS ALWYN Y BACHELlETT. NO importa de que lado sean los comparan y despues la cualpa la tienen los politicos o los militares.
Saludos
Latinoamerica esta jodida, que se puede hacer, difundir y crear conciencia en la gente para que se opongan y sean los paices los beneficiados.
Un saludos cordiales
Querido John!
Las FARC son un lindo regalo del establecimiento colombiano. Gracias a su esnobismo, a su elitismo, a su arribismo, a su materialismo y su banalidad, a su desprecio por la mayoría de la población: la clase media, los pobres, los campesinos, las comunidades negras e indígenas; a su sed de poder, a su sanguinaria intolerancia política e ideológica y su desprecio por la verdadera justicia y democracia (que no admite las groseras y estruendosas diferencias de clase colombianas); el establecimiento colombiano, es decir la elite político-económica (industriales, ganaderos, grandes productores agrícolas, políticos y militares) ha sido la directa responsable de permitir el saqueo de nuestros recursos, de sumergir vastos sectores de la población en la miseria, la pobreza, la violencia, la ignorancia y el desarraigo y, por ende, en el resentimiento, el odio, la frustración, la desesperanza, la sed de venganza, la barbarie y la brutalidad. Así nacieron las FARC, con el bombardeo de las autodefensas campesinas de Marquetalia ordenado por mi coterráneo, el payanés Guillermo León Valencia. Después, unos movimientos guerrilleros (M-19, EPL, ELN, FARC, etc.), escudados en el pretexto marxista pero inspirados por el odio y el resentimiento hacia la oligarquía colombiana y sumidos en el analfabetismo y la sed de sangre retaliatoria, fustigaron la aparición del paramilitarismo que fue precipitado por los secuestros, extorsiones y hostigamientos que practicaron sobre esa misma oligarquía que se combatía. La reacción de la derecha colombiana fué organizar ejércitos paramilitares con el beneplácito de las fuerzas armadas y la alta clase social y política. Después se añadió el ingrediente del narcotrafico a la mezcla. Hoy cosechamos los infames frutos de este legado. Hoy la única víctima es el pueblo colombiano. Los guerrilleros pasaron rápidamente de víctimas a victimarios.
Si bien yo quisiera ver extinguido el corrupto y egoista establecimiento colombiano, tan frívolo y falto de identidad (todo lo que quiere es imitar modelos de vida materialistas y frívolos extranjeros: como dijo el humorista Jaime Garzón, asesinado por los “paracos” por decir la verdad, en colombia la clase alta quiere ser inglesa, la media gringa y la baja mejicana; o como denunció el maestro Fernando Gonzales al concebir el “complejo de hijo de puta”); tampoco me imagino, ni quiero, ni deseo un pais regido por las FARC. Estos tipos son bestias ignorantes demasiado acostumbrados a la sangre y a la violencia, dogmáticos e intransigentes como el peor Papa. Las FARC han encontrado pretextos y justificaciones para las peores atrocidades (como el secuestro). Una Colombia gobernada por las FARC sería igual o peor que lo que ya tenemos. Por eso creo conveniente no verlos idealizadamente como héroes que persiguen la justicia. El conflicto armado ha degradado todo: los ideales, la busqueda de la justicia y la democracia, la libertad y el bienestar de los colombianos. Y una colombia gobernada por los paracos pues…es lo que tenemos así que no hace falta imaginar cómo seria porque yá es atroz: Desplazados, miedo y terror, masacres, asesinatos, descuartizamientos con machete y motosierra, falsos positivos (eufemismo odioso este), dinero y poder del narcotráfico infiltrado en las altas esferas del establecimiento, etc. Yo no le veo salida a Colombia. Confio en que me moriré viendo paracos, asesinatos, supresión y manipulación de la verdad y la información, pobres, anlafabetos, miseria, corrupción, odio, resentimiento y los tradicionales y antipáticos “ricos” con su imbecil arribismo que no les permite a sus mentes aspirar a otra cosa que comprar el últmio BMW, el whisky mas caro, un juego nuevo de palos de golf, una membresía del Country Club, un apartamento en Miami o un viaje para toda la familia a Londres a tomarse fotos en el palacio de Buckingham y a soñar con un pais donde todos se sienten a la mesa vigilando las normas de etiqueta inglesas. Que horror!!!
En Colombia las opciones que hay son entre la lepra, la sífilis, la gonorrea o el cancer. …O entre trepar la escalera socio-económica a punta de lambonería y falta de escrúpulos o resignarse con el fútbol, las reinas, las novelas, los noticieros y el aguardiente.
Pesimismo o realismo? …No sé. …Las dos cosas, tal vez? …Una inspirada por la otra?
Un fuerte abrazo John, gracias por tu contribución al amor, la paz y la justicia. Espero ayudar con estos breves párrafos a reducir un poco la ingenuidad con que se mira, a veces, el conflicto interno Colombiano. Por supuesto es mucho mas complejo, extenso e intrincado de lo que yo alcanzo a comprender. Espero no estar, a grandes razgos, demasiado lejos de la realidad.
Una tema de cual no hay debate es sobre la siguiente pregunta, “porque Colombia tiene un ejercito?”
Claro la primera respuesta obvia es para combatir la guerrilla. Pero no es la guerrilla un elemento criminal? Entonces eliminar la guerrilla obviamente cae en el campo de en forzar las leyes y la institucionalidad y defender dichas de la criminalidad y violación de dicha leyes. No es este la descripción de el oficio de la policía, y no de un ejercito, defender la sociedad de la criminalidad?
La segunda respuesta es para defender el territorio nacional de agresores extranjeros como lo pudiera hacer otro país? Es obvio que Colombia no tiene ambiciones imperialistas territoriales mas allá de sus fronteras y así a declarado su neutralidad? Una incursión de extranjeros en territorio Colombiano seria una violación de las leyes Colombianas y por extensión un acto criminal, entonces no seria esas fuerzas extranjeras y sus dirigentes una banda de criminales y deben ser tratado como criminales?
Mi punto es que el ejercito Colombiano debe ser abolido. Sus miembros debian ser integrados a la Policía Nacional. La Policía Nacional pudiera hacer todas las funciones de el ejercito para combatir bandas criminales y defender el territorio nacional. El modelo de el ejercito Colombiano es de una fuerza interna para mantener el orden, esa función es una función policíaca no una función de un ejercito. Abolir el ejército además neutraliza países belicoso porque afirma mas la neutralidad de Colombia. Le quita una carta política a países como Venezuela que tiene una rhetorica belicosa y imperialista así a Colombia. El modelo de Policía Nacional seria un modelo para toda Latinoamerica. Un ejercito implica que un país pudiera tener intenciones de ejercer su influencias políticas/ideológicas mas allá de sus fronteras.
John estas confundiendo las cosas.
Si, por lo general un tratdo de libre comercio con los Estados Unidos termina en malos terminos para el otro pais. Mas aun cuando en este tratado de libre comercio incluye derechos sobre la riqueza natural Colombiana, ah cambio de limosnas y trabas escondidas para poder vender en el mercado de los Estados Unidos. Pero el hecho de que las FARC combatan a los Gringos y al gobierno colombiano, no significa que sean los robinhood de Colombia. Yo no he sufrido directamente el conflicto colombiano, ya que nunca me han secuestrado o secuestrado a alguien de mi familia, pero si lo llegue a sentir bastante cerca. No se podía salir de la ciudad, hubo varios secuestros de personas cercanas, el robo de carros 4×4 de parte de la guerrilla fue tan alto que las aseguradoras dejaron de asegurar esos carros. Sistemáticamente la guerrilla se dedico a acabar con la clase media colombiana y alimentarse de la clase pobre. Los desplazamientos a las ciudades de campesinos que no querían enviar sus hijos a la guerrilla, o que simplemente se enojaron porque los guerrilleros se les llevaron las únicas tres gallinas y les toco salir corriendo de su finquita. Nunca han combatido la clase política corrupta. la única que vez que lo hicieron fue cuando secuestraron los concejales del valle. La guerrilla y los paramilitares han matado, asesinado y destruido este país igual o peor que la corrupción que siempre nos ha acompañado, desde la llegada de los españoles. Cualquier persona que muera por las armas, y que este defendiendo los colores de las FARC no se puede decir que fue asesinada. Es como decir que un asesino dado de baja en un operativo fue asesinado. La muerte de Raul Reyes es una de las mejores noticias que ha tenido Colombia y los colombianos. Fue la muerte de un hombre que ordeno la destrucion de muchos pueblos, el asesinato de cientos de policías y soldados, el asesinato selectivo de miles de ciudadanos y el desplazamiento de muchas poblaciones, todo en nombre del pueblo colombiano.
Por favor señor John no caiga en creer que el enemigo de mi enemigo es mi amigo, porque con las FARC es un perfecto ejemplo de que no es asi. Una persona que esta luchando por un mundo mejor no puede creer que un grupo de personas como las FARC puedan ayudar a crear un mundo mejor sobre los huesos de miles y miles de Colombianos asesinados por ellos. Investigue cuantos colombianos secuestrados por las FARC son políticos o familia de políticos o pertenecen a las fuerzas del estado. Le aseguro que menos del 1% en los últimos 20 anos
En América Latina la izquierda de hoy es el mismo mico que en pasado se llamaba la derecha. Solo que cambio el color de el sombrero. Se esconde detrás una falsa fachada de democracia y populismo que emboba las masas para que sus caudillos se aferren al poder perpetuamente con el fin que un cambio solo se puede lograr con violencia o golpes de estado.
Y otra cosa, Alex, Colombia no tendrá un gobierno de izquierda mientras que exista las FARC. Termine con las FARC y tendrá un gobierno de izquierda en muy pocos años. Osea que las FARC es la causa de su propio fracaso y el fortalecimiento de la derecha. La política Colombiana se galvaniza alrededor de la seguridad interna y ahora la amenaza de la carrera armamentista iniciada por el megalomaniaco de Chavez resultando que la política de Colombia se en-trincha mas en el modelo económico derechista. Así pierden las políticas económicas social-progresistas que es lo que necesita el país. Y nosotros que apoyamos una política izquierdista pero sobre todo pacifista nos quedamos frustrados. Mientras que existan el tema de la seguridad perpetuado por las FARC y la amenaza expansionista de Chavez el voto de los ciudadanos Colombianos no votarian en las urnas por temas sociales y progresista que necesita el pais pero votarian por temas relacionado con la seguridad interna, el terrorismo interno, la criminalidad y la amenaza de Chavez a la soberania Colombiana y su al las FARC. Aunque yo me considero Socialista no simpatizo con la izquierda Latino Americana porque esta haciendo igual de daño que iso la derecha de pasados años. La izquierda de America Latina contra producente y solo aparenta perpetual el caudillismo. Lo mejor que pueda pasar con Chavez, el jefe de las FARC, es que se muera o que lo maten como calquier otro guerrillero terrorista.
Y deja de aferrarte en el siglo 19. La Gran Colombia solo duro en sueños como 30 años y eso fue en la mente de algunos como Bolivar. En efecto y en realidad nunca existió, fue solo un sueño que nunca se realizo ni se realizara.
Colombia es grande. Y que viva Colombia libre y soberana sin Venezuela y Ecuador.
Alex, las bases estan ahi para Chavez.
Las FARC a tenido a Colombia en un reino de inseguridad, temor e incertidumbre? o es fruto los designios tildantes que ha recibido de la Corrupcion Politica Colombiana al llamarlos TERRORISTAS?
Personas con posicion social y economica nunca lo PODRAN diferenciarla.
Pero una cosa estoy 100% seguro, que no se necesita la intervencion americana en bases sudamericana para combatir la supuesta “narco guerrilla”, erroneo calificativo para mi punto de vista. Ningun pais capitalista gastaria un centavo para hacer servicio humanitario sin que recibir por lo menos 3 o 4 centavos por cada centavito invertido.
Es muy claro que al aristocracia Colombiana junto con muchas corporaciones gringas, estan planeando embolsillarse el trabajo de muchos colombiano a precio de “Huevo”. Saben que sus politicas corporativas les impiden de contaminar el medio ambiente en US, tambien les obligan a pagar un sueldo o salario digno aqui en US. Por esta razon, a muchas de estas empresas, mas que seguro, estan bajo el nombre de otras empresas colombianas o la fueron compradas y privatizadas con el fin de pagar menos que el minimo por hora que se paga aqui en US. MIREN LO QUE HACE WAL-MART, NIKE, HOME DEPOT, SAFEWAY, LOWES
Cuando habran los ojos, se han de dar cuenta del porque tienen guerrilla y porque SIEMPRE lo van a tener mientras que exista mano de corporaciones americanas en su pais, que por cierto, tambien considero mi pais porque yo soy Bolivariano y nuestra hermana Colombia tambien fue patria de BOLIVAR. ACASO no tienen memoria de PABLO ESCOBAR y su reino de terror en colombia hace algunas decadas atras??
No les envio saludos porque se que son derechistas y han de criticar mi orografia, jejejeje.
Saludos
Para Néstor Cardona.
La realidad de Colombia es un mal necesario para el govierno de Estados Unidos. Segun estadisticas, se dice que el trafico de cocaina a disminuido….. nos preguntamos porque?
Porque todo lo compra US a travez de los carteles de Mexico, Le invito para que venga a la frontera y vea que no le miento. Cuando estubo el regimen Taliban in Afghanistan, la produccion de opio era minima, despues de la incursion militar, es uno de los proncipales productores de OPIO Sr. Cardona.
Muchas disculpas por mi ortografia, pero no es necesario ser un magistrado en letras para poder demostrar que Ud. Nestor esta super equivocado y que por personas facilmente corruptibles como usted es que nuestra democracia se a convertido en una dictadura economica, endeudados hasta a Santa Madre. Chavez puede estar loco, pero por lo menos no se vende como ese testaferro de Uribe, el cree en el pueblo y trabaja para el pueblo aunque sinceramente no estoy de acuerdo con algunas de las politicas de Chavez.
No me quiero despedir sin antes mensionar del porque a las corporatocracias americanas no les interesa incursionar en MEXICO…. sabe porque?.. porque Mexico al igual que nuestra querida patria vecina estan llenos de DROGA.
Mexico + Colombia = Profit US = Mas Pobreza = NAFTA
Me da mucha pena que todo lo que Bolivar y San Martin hicieron por nuestros paises, personas como su presindente y como usted lo hayan enterrado.
Viva la Patria de Simon Bolivar,
LA GRAN COLOMBIA
VENEZUELA, COLOMBIA y ECUADOR.
Larga vida para mi PRESIDENTE RAFAEL CORREA y la mano obrera indigena que por centurias han sido sometidas a la explotacion. Arriva EVO MORALES.
Con mucha sinceridad Y mucho respeto asi le duela
ALEX BREEDY
What I see the as being the fundamental base for many USAmericans, and I believe Mr. Perkins is not an exception, is that they see most, if not all, issues in Latin America through the prism of US exceptionalism. That all issues revolve around the US and that the US is the only player in the region of any consequence. This is far from reality. The reality that there are dynamics in play in Latin America that have nothing or little to do with the US. This is the error that Mr. Perkins and others on the USAmerican left suffer from. It is not all about the US and the sooner all on the US right and left accept this the better for all.
Sr.- Perkins.}
Además de los problemas mas conocidos de Colombia como lo son la Guerrilla narcoterrorista de las Farc, la locura de Chaves, la corrupción interna, el narcotrafico y otros mas, esta un problema no menos grave, que son aquellas personas que como Usted, no conocen la realidad colombiana desde adentro, no han visto los balances económicos de la gestión del presidente Uribe, pero que si se atreven a conceptuar, generando con ello desinformación, desdibujando nuestra realidad interna en Colombia y apartandose de la realidad.
Respetuosamente le pido que antes de lanzar sus opiniones se documente a profundidad.
Gracias
Néstor Cardona
Much fuss has been made about the agreement of the Colombian government in regards to the US bases in Colombian territory. We have to analyze the context under which the agreement was made. Combine the agreement with the tensions with the Chavez government which seems to be run by a bunch of inept clowns. The not officially confirmed, by Colombia, of FARC encampments across the border in Venezuela. A fact that Chavez has not been able to disguise given his belligerent language, the confirmed reports of FARC terrorists freely moving about in Venezuelan territory with the apparently tacit approval of the Venezuelan military and police. Chavez unilaterally closing down the international border between the 2 countries mostly affecting the livelihood of civilians on both sides of the border. The open support and praise Chavez has given in his speeches to Manuel Marulanda and the FARC, his public appearances with Ivan Marquez a known FARC terrorist in which it is common knowledge resides in Venezuela. The Rodrigo Granda incident. The bombastic public threats of war by Chavez together with the purchase of billions of dollars of sophisticated offensive weaponry from Russia. In spite of all of these offenses and threats against Colombian sovereignty and security, Uribe and the Colombian government has opted for discretion and diplomacy. Uribe’s political professionalism against Chavez amateurism political lack of talent and immature tantrums.
With the agreement on the bases Uribe has played a very smart but obviously predictable card. I believe that the agreement was strategic chess by Uribe. Definitely this agreement was not necessary for the so called US war on drugs. The same effect, for US purposes, could have been accomplished with bases in Panama or the numerous Caribbean islands or the Guyana’s. The US war on drugs was reasoning and the guise as far as Uribe was concerned, I believe. What Uribe has done with the stroke of a pen and at no cost of national treasure is to have neutralize Chavez strategically in a military and political sense. Chavez has spent billions on his Russian toys while his people suffer from poverty. Uribe has spent nothing, as a matter of fact he has gotten money for Colombia in the deal and all while putting the fear in Chavez of US retaliation if he moves against Colombia while Chavez frivolously expends Venezuela’s national treasure. What has Chavez pissed off is that he spent all those billions on weapons he most likely won’t get to use without a major risk of US intervention and to his permanence in power. His dream of a Gran Colombia will remain just that, a dream. Uribe still has his queen with both his rooks and bishops and has Chavez in check with no queen and only a few pawns and maybe one knight. Chavez knows it. He’s been had by someone smarter than him and it’s driving Chavez raging mad.
Mr. Perkins,
As far as your statement in regards to The Colombian President. Let me assure you that, as far that he is not that popular among other presidents in Latin America, is something that is not bothering the Colombian citizens. They do support him because he IS making a difference.
As Alex mentions “I support President Uribe’s fight against these terrorist, which has hurt Colombia for as long as anyone can remember.” I believe on what he is doing. He has been supporting his people, not afraid of speaking up. Like no other president he is humble and cherish his roots.
The people in Colombia KNOW how hard it has been for them to fight against terrorism (Las FARC) it is Thanks to Uribe’s initiatives that there has been a difference.
The problem of crossing the frontier with Ecuador is well justified, due to the fact that Other countries have been supporting las Farc who has killed millions of innocent people in Colombia. Las FARC is not only a revolutionary group as it started, they are TERRORIST, who have killed millions of innocent kids, women and men.
With all the respect, as far as your research goes, try to count the poor people that support President Uribe, I am sure that he has not only favored the middle- upper class; but, the poor as well. He is NOT like other presidents who are making the rich richer and the poor poorer. NO, he actually is fighting for better living conditions for all.
If you know so much about economy and have lived so much, please see the Facts. It is not just a matter of calling a president a “puppet” is a matter of improving the living conditions for the people that have suffered for so long. People that have lost their houses, and farms (basically all they had) because of las FARC.
Mr Perkins,
Your assessment in regards to the relations of latinamerica with washington are accurate, even more so when you see current events corroborate your standing point. Recently, president Uribe has nogotiated with washington for the installment of multiple military bases in Colombia. Given the history of deceit and exploitation the U.S military has in international policy, one cannot help but wonder what implications might this scenario have for the future of latin america.
Greetings
Much love to you,
Daniel Estrada
Mr. Perkins,
You must not know the situation in Colombia over the past 40 years. The Farc is the oldest Revelutionary terrorist Group in the World and has been Colombias cancer. The group has had been very powerful in Colombia, due to Corrupt Government officials. President Uribe is the only president in Colombia who has been able to combat these terrorist, even if it meant crossing national borders. Those Terrorist travel along the borders, to avoid getting caught or attacked by Colombian forces. When that attack happened on Ecuador’s border, it was very succesful, because the Second Leader in Charge, Raul Reyes was killed. That hurt the Organization, and alot of intelligence was aquired from their laptops, that was found in the camp. Some of that information was linked to Hugo Chavez the president of Venezuela, which made him furious. And the President of Ecuador, which is claiming that Colombia violated its country’s sovereign rights or whatever, but again he is not able to stop the Farc from entering and leaving his country succesfully. That just tells you what kind of presidents are in Latin America today, and who’s sides they are on.
I support President Uribe’s fight against these terrorist, which has hurt Colombia for as long as anyone can remember. They also murdered Uribe’s Father, and the Country is happy with him as President. That’s why they have elected him twice, and he’s looking to run again for a third term. Which many Colombian’s believe should be granted because of what the Country has become ever since he became President.
-Alex
Yes, Mr.Perkins, you telling the true, the problem in Latin America is that many people still believing what the compromise media said and write, they still believed in Puppet presidents like URIBE, (and so call it Democracy)
we know many cases like the Chiquita Banana, and the False positives and the paramilitary (create by President Uribe) kill people and they blame the FARC,
also that he is in a list of narc-Traffickers!
-Maybe it’s important to clarify the following points, as part of educating people:
‘This “free trade agreement” is Washington’s desperate attempt to shore up one of its few remaining Latin puppets and at the same time tilt the playing field even further in favor of the big corporations.’
-I suggest that somebody expert in the field writes an informative and accurate analysis of free trade agreements. if such a thing is allowed and the material is accessible to the current puppet population.
‘What you can do: Speak out against “free trade agreements” that are written to help multinational corporations exploit other countries.’
-If the terms of agreements are unknown to the general public is difficult to argue against exploitation, though eventually people find immersed in the resulting problems and deduce exploitation, being too late to deal with the domino effect, that anyhow ends up cornering the same big monopolies.
‘Email your representatives and the corporations whose goods and services you buy. Tell them you know that what is best for the US are strong Latin American economies where local resources are channeled to the poor through health, education and other social services.’
-the wish of people in hispano america, like in most countries, is a strong and some kind of independent economies that cooperate in the needed fields or complement even first world economies, that’s why they are trying to come out of the nightmare of wars and being constant collateral damage. Example, a developed country limited by land and resources can actually trade needed resources, even renting the needed land, not colonizing or enslaving the whole ecosystem, people included. AND if there are competitive international markets where innovation in hispano america can contribute and lead, you just have to accept it for what is, rather than forcing, celebrating and consuming the destructive innovations for the consumers in developed countries. It will happen, you know, if the world finds a way to get along AND PREDATING optimized.
I am constantly angry at these so called free trade agreements which results in exploiting labor both in the U.S. and the other countries. The other countries get jobs and extremely low wage rates. The U.S. usually loses the jobs and it also creates a situation in which corporations are able to use mafia tactics on U.S. workers they still employ. Including training your replacements to get severence pay.
The free trade policy ploy practiced by the U.S. since 1989 and probably even earlier has resulted in a diminishing middle class and a race to the bottom for developed and less developed countries. A return to 90% tax rates for very rich people making over 10 million dollars a year as well as a required global minimum wage of at least 8 Euros or over 10 dollars an hour would help. Collective bargaining and unionization must happen globally.
Mr Perkins,
I say there’s ‘more than meets the eye’ and, now, the mind. And that is unfortunate and contradictory in the century of knowledge.
Please keep in perspective that what you are saying in favor of the other side of the coin could very well apply to whom you are tackling. That is amajor problem, the distorsions, isn’t?
Colombien people, Uribe and his government are not the problem or the reason why the USA and the world are in trouble. They are not even the reason why there is a massive and profitable market of drug users or are the main cause of massive and predatory growth of corporations. However, they want to contribute to the common good and for that they are taking the very risky position of making the parties involved accountable. While living in the real hell of violence that yields profits to somebody else.
There is only one thing I share with you, so far: the observation of the extremist predatory instinct. I have a name for it, and I think until it gets under control we can not move further back into rescuing anything, not even the USA republic. Each one of the good elected officials will not be able to do anything about it either, they will just repeat the molded behavior.
On a totally different subject:
Mr. Perkins: What is your opinion on Obama being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and how does this fit into expanding the empire? Why was he awarded the prize?
Hi John it’s good to find colombia like a theme for your analisys but the true is the problem is more complicated inside and outside colombia, and the neighbor, here in colombia the people not only want a change, the people need it, the problem is that the people in general are in indefendetion state, and really need help practical help
Thank you so much. I appreciate your comment.
I would have to agree with JP Alvarez and Daniel Fernando. Being married to a Colombian national since 1974 I’ve come to know Colombia intimately. Even though I do lean to the left I do have contempt and disdain for the present leftist leadership in Latin America led by the likes of Chavez, Ortega and Castro. I believe Uribe is a decent man given what he has inherited and living through the tumultuous ’80s and 90s. But just like Obama has status quo obstacles so did Uribe. Overall I believe that he has been a positive figure in Colombia and there is no denying that he enjoys the support and popularity of the vast majority of Colombians. Must be for a reason. Perhaps they know something that Mr. Perkins has completely missed.
It is a mistake to stereotype, it shows ignorance and intolerance. Perhaps we are in too much of a habit of stereotyping Colombians and other Latin Americans.
Hello Mr Pekins.
I’m a colombian economics student, working in India for a consultancy company.
It is nice to read “confessions of an economic hitman” while I’m at home.
Mr. Perkins, I really admire your braveness to publish the truth about “how it works” our economical world. But I must tell you that I’m totally agree with the last comment from JP Alvarez, probably another colombian I don’t know.
The FARC is worst than all the corrupt multinational companies working toguether. Actually, it is the biggest drug cartel in the world, fighting for “marxist ideas”, but selling the worst product from the capitalisim around the world -cocaine- and killing inocent people every day, not just with AK-47, but also with a drugs that can spread diseases and ignorance in our less development countries, or LDC.
Several times, during this 50-year conflict, the governments in Colombia (from the left to the right ), tried to negotiate with the FARC. There was no
hostage negotiations around. The government of Rafael Correa knowed that the FARC, had some campaments inside the ecuator’s territory.
Thanks to a bomb, launched from a F-117A US Stealh bomber, our country is more safe today. Less assesinations and kidnappings from a gangster band that hadn’t read a Karl Marx book before.
What it has to do the Free Trade in Colombia?. Our negotiations was, fairly made. We need the threat, in order to produce more than rice and coffee. Please, if we can buy from the US a machine for a better price, we can export more texiles to another countries in latinamerica.
Hello Mr. Perkins,
I saw your video ‘Confessions of an Economic Hit Man’ and I realize about the way corporations take control of a whole country, and showing us that corporations are just looking for their profits and doesn’t take care about human rights.
I agree about what you said in these video, but I want to give you a suggestion… you should make an effort in order to study more about what you said in your note ‘Free Trade?’, you said: ‘Uribe infuriated many Latin Americans when he illegally sent troops into Ecuador to assassinate FARC representatives who reportedly were there to try to negotiate hostage exchanges and a peace deal’… you’re right about that incursion was illegally and probably it shouldn’t had happen, but you should know that FARC wasn’t negotiating any hostage exchange and they wasn’t making a peace deal!!!… FARC was trainig people (from many parts of latinAmerica), justifying kidnapping, kills and many other acts they commit. The only responsible about kidnapping people (those that you call hostages) is FARC and FARC should free those people, cause FARC is the only responsibles of they captivity.
Nothing justify killing people, and the action taken by the Colombian army in Ecuador is not justified, but this fact by itself doesn’t justify the actions FARC do against common people (kidnapping, assassinations, producing drugs, charge ‘taxes’ to workers and agricultural workers, and more)… FARC behaves like one of those corporations you show us in the video, they are just looking for profit, so I invite you to take a deeper look at this situation.
Thks Mr. Perkins.