1st CAFTA letter to McDermott

April 10, 2005
Congressman Jim McDermott
1035 Longworth House Office Bldg
Washington, DC 20515-4707

Dear Congressman McDermott:

I am writing to inform you of my strong opposition to CAFTA. I understand that congress will soon begin hearings on this corporate/oligarch friendly, people/environment hostile treaty.

The ugly consequences of corporate globalization (of which CAFTA is a part) include the wholesale destruction of the infrastructure of Third World countries. Countries which were once able to feed themselves now must import food to survive (India, Mexico, etc). This is the consequence of the intentional destruction of their local agricultural base. Now they do what we tell them or they can’t earn the money to feed themselves. Water is privatized. Education is privatized (eliminated for most).Healthcare is privatized (eliminated for most). The IMF runs their economy for the benefit of our corporate oligarches.

No amount of economic fairy tales and falsification can hide the destructive reality of the consequences of corporate globalization. This is why people and social justice organizations throughout the Americas are adamantly opposed to CAFTA and other neoliberal trade agreements. The people oppose these agreements because they know that their economic livelihood and hope for the future will be destroyed. The corporations are pushing for these agreements because the common sense and human compassion of the corporate elites have been overwhelmed by power lust. When businessmen rule, society suffers.

Our military is not fooled by this economic deception. In the U.S. Space Command’s Vision for 2020, they anticipate that "globalization of the world economy" will lead to "a widening between the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’" with "deepening economic stagnation, political instability, and cultural alienation" leading to violence and unrest among the "have-nots." Just as any sane person would anticipate, and which is already occurring. Of course, our traditional way of maintaining "stability" in Latin America is the U.S. funded application of massive violence against the local population. Among other things, CAFTA is a huge jobs program for the death squads. This is what you are being asked to approve.

As bad as all of this is, the long term consequences are worse. This ongoing increased trade in goods and the expansion of our oil dependent economy is leading to disaster. We are rapidly approaching peak oil output and the days of cheap oil will soon be over. Continuing to expand cheap oil dependent activities is irresponsible. Worse yet, the emission of massive amounts of greenhouse gases which will inevitably accompany the globalization process is a giant step in the wrong direction. We are rapidly approaching runaway planetary warming with potentially disastrous consequences. Voting for CAFTA (or any other corporate globalization agreement) is the most anti-environmental act you can perform. Much worse than opening up the ANWR to oil drilling, bad as that is. In fact, it is the globalization of our fossil fuel dependent economy that creates the demand for oil which makes oil exploration and environmental destruction inevitable. What kind of world is this to leave to our grandchildren?

Jim, voting against CAFTA should be an easy decision for you. Your district is well informed and strongly progressive. We were delighted when you went to Iraq and spoke against the war. We applaud your efforts to protect social security. We are counting on you to stand up and be counted on this critically important issue. To oppose the destructive insanity of neoliberal corporate globalization. To do the right thing and vote against CAFTA. When you do, you can rest assured that the voters of the 7th district will be solidly behind you. I personally commit to providing support on this important issue and if you have questions, comments or requests, please feel free to contact me (enclosed is a paper I gave you at your 2004 potato feed).

Sincerely,





GLOBAL DISASTER

Corporate Globalization (there is no other kind) is the most anti-environmental, anti-social justice, anti-democratic scheme that ever was, or likely ever will be. In a nutshell, the intent of the globalization scheme advocated by our corporate rulers is to turn the planet into one big company town.

At the most obvious level, Corporate Globalization aims at removing any and all impediments to economic exploitation, domination and control. Economic decision making (by corporate management, not the people) is effectively isolated from political interference. Money rules, pure and simple. Any and all laws which inhibit the ability of transnational corporations to do whatever they like are considered restraint of "free trade." Disputes are adjudicated in secret by corporate lawyers who inevitably, inexorably decide that the corporations know best.

At the most fundamental level, trade in goods increases fossil fuel usage, hence, is inherently anti-environmental and should be minimized whenever possible. It is neither necessary nor wise to create "trade dependent" nations, states, etc, which survive on the fuel intensive importation/exportation of commodities better produced locally. Local autonomy (political, fuel, food, etc) is the key to sustainability. Trade dependency is the key to corporate domination and control. Political barriers to economic control are relentlessly attacked, while information sharing and local development (for the people) is discouraged.

All countries which successfully developed and modernized relied extensively on ideas, procedures, processes, etc, developed elsewhere (technological diffusion). It is highly indicative of the true goals of Corporate Globalization that "trade" agreements strongly emphasize "intellectual property rights." In other words, to prohibit the Third World from doing what the First World did to develop! The intent is clear: to keep the Third World underdeveloped and locked into dependency on First World corporations. An economic plan to subjugate the Third World into perpetuity! Let us not fail to mention that the economists who provide pseudo intellectual justification for this Economic Imperialism earn their living misrepresenting reality in service to power.

Every environmental and social justice organization that I belong to (I belong to a lot) opposes Corporate Globalization. The voiding of existing environmental regulations, the inevitable massive burning of fossil fuels, and the destruction of local Third World economies worldwide represents an unprecedented political, sociological and environmental disaster.

The era of cheap fossil fuels is nearly over, and in the not-to-distant future, an economy based on excessive fossil fuel dependency (international trade, etc) will collapse (hopefully, prior to irreversible ecological destruction). Whether or not this occurs depends upon political decisions made now.

Seattle Keith 10/17/03 saskckforseattle@msn.com