the truth behind the WTO by War on Want

[dictatornation]

To: every single country we've reduced to third-world-status -- I'm sorry America is waking up too late.

[distressed7]

I have one statement to the devils of the WTO. I have one statement to the Military Industrial Complex of the United States. I have one statement to the London Bankers and their precious "royals" who still call the shots. You are headed fast to the Final Judgement. Do not think for one minute your miserable and awakening armies will help you. You are no good whatsoever. I REPEAT: You are NO GOOD, WHATSOVER. YOU ARE EVIL. GET IT? GET IT? NO ONE HAS TO OBEY YOU. GET THAT TOO. You are wretched.

[TheSillones]

Lol why are we so stupid, let me think lol, my opinion is EDUCATION and i mean real EDUCATION, kids look for high grades, then they get a bachellor diploma even a master, and they think "Im so well prepared, Iam smart" and I laugh, to me EDUCATION is the ability to know the truth, the ability to think for yourself, and to avoid opinions and look at the fact and how you doit , i do it by reading, thinking , analyzing, but people prefer to go to the mall to buy the new abercr... shirt! lol

lol

[cunucky]

@spexdude15 (6) this explains alot of why wages for lower earning americans have been so stagnent for so long. (its not a conspiracy!) but soon (even today) these countries will become more developed and companies will have to compete for ever more competitive labour markets which increase wages sustanably for the long run. so if anyone can find a system that does this better please let me know :) I hope that helps a bit and sorry it was so damn long haha :P shoulda made a video

[cunucky]

@spexdude15 (5) i took out my Economics of trade book and found whats called the Factor price equilization theorem. which states Free trade between two factor proportions economies leads to equal factor (which one is labour paid by wages) prices. There is empirical evidence to show that this is the general trend. since the fall of the comand economy systems and the increase in global markets, roughly 3 billion unskilled labour flooded the market. because of free trade wages are SLOWLY equalizing

[cunucky]

@spexdude15 (4) the other company? i dont know but there sales went down. and if it got too bad they would have to shut down and fire all their workers. And since they werent "making enough money then" they certainly not making any now. most of those workers probably left there homes to go work there because that made the most money for them in their situation. but not anymore. they must choose a second best option now in a place where not much is there for them.

[cunucky]

@spexdude15 (3) the second half of it is what i like to think of people that have heart but arent using there head. just like you suggested, the consequences of people trying to stop things like free trade so that they can "protect people in the 3rd world" are actually doing more harm than good. For instance my school stopped buying clothing from cheap labour sources cuz they wanted to buy from a place that gave more money to there workers (wont be in the third world then) so what happened to

[cunucky]

@spexdude15 (2) putting tariffs in place and issueing subsidies to make it less profitable to put factories in other countries. When these tariffs are lowered (more free trade) certain industries in a particular country suffer and the GREATER benifits are disperesed among consumers and are seen in another country (potentially in the third world) who is now producing those products more efficiently. so those certain industries get REAL political sometimes not wanting to loose there jobs of course

[cunucky]

@spexdude15 (1) Thats the way I see it too (were EVERYONE is equal and should have the oportunity to better their lives and their childrens). What ive learned from the econ classes ive taken (take with a grain a salt plz :)) is that half of it is that they do indeed want it harder to open factories in third world places so that they will open up factories in america instead, and having to hire people for 30 dollars an hour (gotta have those plasma T.V's right?) they do this by......

[tchicherine]

1. The WTO does not 'advocate' anything. It is a forum for negotiation between nations, formed under the auspices of a treaty (the WTO Agreeement).

2. The WTO Appellate Body ruled against the EC ban on hormone-treated beef because it was not based on a scientific risk assessment.

3. To suggest that corporations wrote the WTO Agreements is frankly ridiculous. They are the product of decades of negotiation.

The WTO can be rightly criticised for lots of things. This video mentions none of them.

[Metsada007]

NATO, WTO, IMF and similar so-called "International" organzations are there to serve western hegemony and colonization of the world.

[makemap]

Dam Monsatan, I mean Monsanto. 

[AfroPlato]

This seems credible - Why would an organization discontinue protective tariffs which allow more expensive domestic goods to compete with foreign ones? I guess it allows free trade and competition, but the losers tend to be the poor who can't kick off their businesses, because they can't compete with foreign corporations. Am I getting somewhere?

AP

[tchicherine]

@AfroPlato That might be right in some cases, but just as often the position is the reverse: the WTO means that producers in poor countries, who have a comparative advantage because their production costs are low, can directly compete with producers in rich countries. If you look at the list of WTO disputes, rich countries such as the US have been on the losing end of lots them because they have tried to protect their economies from competition. US – Gambling is an entertaining example.

[surprisecko]

Death to the WTO

[jobedied]

Death to the WTO the modern pirates that are bringing the new Dark Ages.

[Thisawareness]

A real Inconvenient Truth to Gore & his Goldman Sachs partners & AGW Cult

Here's a great expose of what the GATT expansion to the WTO (orchestrated by Clinton/Gore) has produced in terms of environmental damage by moving manufacturing in the West that had Environmental laws to pollute with impunity in the Socialists/Limousine Liberals current favorite failed utopia, China

Graphic pictures of the environmental horrors

chinahush(dot)com/2009/10/21/a­mazing-pictures-pollution-in-c­hina/

[emiledingemans]

Developing countries who are WTO members, are excluded in many ways from obligations that developed countries have to abide to. this is what the institutional scientists Bernard M. Hoekman and Petros say in their book 'The World Trade Organization'. I suggest that people who want to draw a conclusion on the WTO, not only stick with this video, but also read this informative book (only 17 pound sterling), or some other work that provides a realistic insight.

[coeurnuage]

@emiledingemans

where do I get this book ? it's really important for me to know, I have to give a presentation on the WTO.

[emiledingemans]

@coeurnuage You can find it in many online shops, Routledge, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, e.g. It's around 25 dollar.

[coeurnuage]

@emiledingemans

okay thank you.

[hackingtime88]

i still dont get what the wto that is doing that is so bad. i know the effect (poverty and loss of jobs) but what is the cause of that

[sbwpolo14]

Could we have empirical evidence? The enumeration of the short/long term effects of the WTO's policies?

Otherwise, this seems rather abstract, more of a partisan statement than a fount of information.

[cunucky]

I Totally agree sbwpolo14 if this video is agianst the idea of free trade then empirical evidence suggests that they are off on the wrong track. Economics of trade is the oldest and most agreed upon branch of the science with all agreeing (backed up by huge amounts of data) that free trade provides greater social benifits to each country. The problem that the poor farmers face isnt free trade its the subsidies that US pay which is the opposite of what WTO stand for and what Protectionism is for

[sbwpolo14]

Well said.

Perhaps the issue is the direct power that states have over their own economies and others (protective tariffs), which is mercantilism. States play a greater role in economic performance than the policies of an international body.

However, WTO criticism is not without merit. Non-democratic institutions cannot best serve the economic interests of their constituents, due to dissociation with ground-level consequences of their decisions.

Empiricism is a must for effective criticism.

[nakedmambo]

@cunucky

Why are you promoting the known myth that economics has an agreed-upon methodology and set of results? It doesn't - even a simple book like Ha-Joon Chang's 'Bad Samaritans' manages to demolish that silly idea.

You watched the video but didn't listen: 'free-trade' is not free, it's corporations making one weighted rule for themselves, and western economies, and forcing developing nations to follow a method the West itself never followed to grow rich and isn't following now.

[cunucky]

@nakedmambo

in relative terms Western countries are indeed implementing these ideas and have for a long time. It is why so many Americans are losing unskilled jobs. BUT the great positive is that those jobs are going to people that would of been in extreme poverty and so would the next generation. And even without opening markets, do you REALLY think that these people will be taking any less advantage of? were the Chinese less exploited in in the 1970's than today? come now

[nakedmambo]

@cunucky One of the rules of thumb in tackling economic questions is never to trust a sentence that begins with either "in relative terms" or "in real terms". They both mark out arrival of generalised observations.

I don't think I quite understand your point about Chinese exploitation now and in the 1970s; whether manufacturing for western or Chinese companies the Chinese worker is exploited in a way the western worker isn't..which is why global manufacturing is in South-East Asia.

[cunucky]

@nakedmambo

What i meant by relative was things like lower tariffs relative to other countries and past policies, things that promote free trade. what i meant about China (and the rest of the developed world) is that how did the closed economies in the 60's and 70's help alleviate exploitation and oppression of the people? it might not of been companies paying them wages back then but it was sure hell some other domestic crony squeezing them for all they're worth and no way out of poverty

[nakedmambo]

@cunucky The issues are that the West - chiefly America - forces an economic trajectory it not follow itself and promotes an ideological one instead which is labelled "free trade".

[cunucky]

@nakedmambo

give me a country that has, over time, gotten less oppressive, less exploitation of people, and a increasing standard of living that hasn't opened up there markets to the world and you might have a point. but there isn't. WTO is actually the place were you can try and fix these exploitations and try and stop western subsidies of food. getting ride of the WTO will not get ride of any of you problems whatsoever they would just make things worse. and sorry about being unclear b4

[nakedmambo]

@cunucky The issue at hand though, also in the video, is that what is called 'free trade' is not free trade and never has been. The WTO has been a tool for the most powerful Western economies to balance trade in their favour.

China and S.E. Asia have grown by having massive government investment, Japan is the greatest success story in that respect. The WTO does not promote that and American economists pretend it is achieved by markets alone. America grew through equally massive subsidies.

[cunucky]

@nakedmambo Im not saying that investment shouldnt be i priority Government or foriegn direct investment which counries use both of. However thats not the function of WTO. Indeed we have set up other institutions for this purpose namely the World Bank (critisism aside). I believe that opening markets is a neccessary but not sufficient way to create oportunity in countries that historically havent. This video fails to show that 70 percent of extreme poverty in Africa are farmers

[cunucky]

@nakedmambo

And that providing more opportunities for them will give them a better chance of getting out of poverty. The cure that this video is implementing is worse than the disease. how does destroying the WTO help better than trying to persuade the Western governments to let fairer trade happen? and conscerning the subsidies part, America grew in the face of big subsidies. those subsidies did not help America as a whole (it helped a particular industry yes)

[cunucky]

@nakedmambo there is no evidence for the fact that subsidies help the long term growth of a country and if there is please bring it forth so i can march back to my economics of international trade teacher and tell him he is full of shit :)

[indianascott1]

@cunucky if you think the WTO is good , you are probley a dumb ass Dem... and love Clinton and Obama ...and if you wached the video and wrote what you all are writing than yes you are all ass monkeies...Good Day... I say Good Day,, Soo don't write back ass monkies..

[rickbar123]

death to the wto

[cosmicbuddha24]

P.S. The next time you open a sentence with " Hahaha This is the biggest BS I have yet to hear about the WTO.." You should be prepared to back up your accusations with a more credible follow up then "I think 75% of things said in this video are straight lies, assumptions or exaggerations". The "hahaha" at the beginning of your comment suggests you were also enjoying a good laugh yourself "Einstein".

[wamonchez]

The erroneousness of your interpretation lies in you linking think to assumptions, lies or exaggerations and not to the 75% estimate.

Again, the purpose of that comment was to instigate a discussion about whether the facts presented in the video where true or false and to get other peoples views on the impact of the WTO. Not to get a smartass like yourself excited for nothing. Sorry to kill the laugh Einstein.

[cosmicbuddha24]

Fair enough. I apologize for poking fun at your comment. I realize that you were simply expressing an opinion and concede that my response was a bit tasteless and uncalled for. However, I don't think it is fair to make scathing and presumptuous statements about the credibility of material espoused in this video when you offer not a single inkling of evidence or any logical argument to validate your claims. My sarcastic remark was intended to reveal the absurdity inherent in unsupported charges

[cosmicbuddha24]

"Again, the purpose of that comment was to instigate a discussion about whether the facts presented in the video where true or false and to get other peoples views on the impact of the WTO"

Okay, if you want to have a discussion on whether the material in this video is factual or not then let's start. You opened the discussion by stating that you believe 75% of it to be "lies, assumptions or exaggerations". What leads you to believe that? Let's talk facts then.

[wamonchez]

hahahah this is the biggest BS I have yet to hear about the WTO. Who writes this shit? Honestly, I think about 75% of the things said in this video are straight lies, assumptions or exaggerations.

[cosmicbuddha24]

Hahah sorry but that has to be one of the funniest and dumbest statements I've ever seen posted on here!! Lol "I think (key word here is think) about 75% (random made up number) of the things said in this video are straight lies, assumptions and exaggerations. Yet saying you "think" this material is based on assumptions is an assumption! lol Making up a random number that might be true is both a lie and an exaggeration. Thanks for the laugh!!

[wamonchez]

Well that wasn't the purpose of that comment but if you really want to analyze it phrase by phrase we can. The "think" reflected the fact that the 75% I threw in there was an estimate. Not that I "think" what is said in the video is an assumption, lie or exaggeration. With that in mind, let me address some of your comments; a) "75% (random made up number). It is indeed a random number; hence the think that preceded it.

[wamonchez]

b) "think this material is based on assumptions is an assumption" no, the 75% was the assumption, once again I dont think the material is based on assumptions, lies and exaggerations, I think 75% of it is. C) Making up a random number that might be true is both a lie and an exaggeration. Thats why I added think to explicitly express the fact that this is an estimate and not an accurate % of what is a lie, exaggeration or assumption in the video. You get it?

[bikerhustler]

you know what? why the fuck should we all be arguing about something like this? anarchy is the one and only way forward.

[TheBripinthenight]

this is anarchy organized anarchy

[EikC]

Anarchy is politics for children.

[bikerhustler]

anarchy isnt politics and is definately not for children.

[ozzycriss]

Wto is only there so the elites can gobble up more wealth , plain and simple .

[albfeszy21]

its simple

forestskog = republican

Siobhan1234 = democrat

respect each others points of view and understand that few republicans put a human beings life before their own bank accounts

[forestskog]

Lets take one example: EU ban on hormone treated beef. It is absolute HORSESHIT that the WTO overturned the ban "even though the science stated the ban should be maintained." The EU did not even CLAIM that the science supported a ban. The ENTIRE POINT of their defense was "the precautionary principle" which means that WITHOUT scientific proof you can still ban a product. As Commissioner Frans Andriessen, put it: 'Scientific advice is important, but it is not decisive.'

[forestskog]

Second, the EU is not even really "prohibited" from banning US beef. The WTO simply meant that if the EU bans US beef in the absence of scientific evidence, then the US can raise tariffs on equivalent products from the EU up to max the amount that the US lost. Thats it! The EU argued that it should be able to violate the treat with IMPUNITY, i.e. they get 100% rights from the US, and the US only gets the rights that the EU picks and chooses. Not surprising the US didn't want to sign up to that.

[forestskog]

I'm a WTO specialized lawyer who usually works AGAINST the EU and US. But I have to say there is so much bullshit in this video I don't know where to start. Anti-WTO activist really need to either hire a lawyer who knows what they're talking about, or or stop giving in to temptation to wildly exaggerate or play loose with the facts. This is just a joke.

[Siobhan1234]

Well if you are so specialized lawyer why don't you stop and listen ... then do some investigation and come with better facts than the ones that developing nations are facing every day. the farmers don't go out into the streets because they are rich. do they ?

[pacepaixchocolate]

i was mearly admiring your enthusiasm

[pacepaixchocolate]

if you rallyed for any cause then i think there would be reason to fear.

[pacepaixchocolate]

paranoid much?

[Iluvcristian]

new world order sucks

[bearhamo]

You said it Iluvcristian! We must resist!

Peace be with you.

[kuza01]

Right on!

[esriggioni]

this video has various false statements, get well informed. i know the WTO is not all good but it´s a lot more than what it´s defined here.

[Aanthanur]

esriggioni

and do you want to list a few things they have done good?

according to the big corporations, especialy such as the one that took over the Bolivian water, the WTO is going mostly good things only.

Are we more interested helping big corporations or do we want to help poor suffering people?

[bearhamo]

Which ones are false? Have you seen how many large corporations hire companies with slave labor? Have they no shame? Our dear leader here in the US pushes for free trade. He says it is good for America. This is the same clown who said the fundamentals of our econmy are strong a few months back. What that means is we are not yet out of ink for the printing presses, which we probably get from slave labor somewhere too.

[xXpdeeXx]

Hey, the world trade organization is not all bad. There have been many rulings against developed countries. Developing countries have benefited greatly from trade liberalization. Don't get confused between IMF structural adjustment programs and the WTO.

If you look critically at some of the literature on the WTO you will see that it is not a perfect organization but it is not how perceived in the media.

Recently it has even taken a lead on environmental issues.

[modestomouso1234]

You must be joking...

"Developing countries have benefited greatly from trade liberalization"? Then why did 'developing countries' WALK OUT o talks with the WTO when they realized they were being all but ignored by the orginazation?

Get yer facts straight.

[pacepaixchocolate]

you're right, the IMF is to blame for some of africa's instability. However the WTO has systematicaly shoot down both environmental and ethical agendas. the WTO its self is not neccesarily the problem theough, its more the way the voting procedure is set up. if the WTO went from requireing unanimity to majority rule than it could really effect possitive change.

[rororotimi]

WHY ARE WE SO STUPID

[Slemgurt]

Just to sum it up:

WTO = free trade = global growth = better human and environmental conditions

The Millenium round in Seattle did not "collapse", which was the narrator's term - the conference was simply derailed and the same talk was later brought up on the Doha round in 2001.

[phonedial9]

Screw the weak. Survival of the fittest!

[theman4130]

My god. What has this world come to.

[Ticonio]

wao it's nice to find intelligent people!!!

Viva la Libertad!!!!!!!!

[KenCat1337]

VivA, though I believe my comment was deleted..!?

[dragun39]

Your average indian farmers is being affected terribly because of this fraudulent business scheme called wto. In 2003 alone, more than 17,000 farmers committed suicide in India

[nissanguy123]

people power rulzzzz ! :)

BAN the WTO !

[fcubeband]

world trade is a death machine.

leftover crizzack son

[louiethegreater]

Did our congress give the WTO the right to determine our future.

[djsuperstar717]

wow, great video

[xxXCALIBURxx]

I think we can all agree that the WTO needs to go down. It always seems that the people that aren't against WTO are the ones who have no idea what they're talking about.

[HammerSickle]

this output is obvious in Market Economy.

[mike3yo]

The WTO should instigate "fair trade" tags for products that were traded/faired at a just price. Similar to the "organic" sticker the usd puts on organic products

[forestskog]

I am a lawyer specialized for 8 years in WTO law working for Korean, Japanese, American, Indian, Slovakian, French, and other companies and governments. I seek out and study anti-WTO arguments like those presented here. Unbelievable how untrue the arguments presented here are. I mean they are PROVABLY wrong. Its depressing to see that even in developed countries pple just follow like herds whatever they are told if it complies with their political bias. Ridiculous video.

[KenCat1337]

By the looks of your channel, you're not studying any anti-WTO organizers...

Everyone, LOOK at foresskog's channel, dozens of hateful comments and three subscriptions: one for YouTube porn, one for pop entertainment and "America's hardest prisons".

rofl!

[cmcclurkin]

The WTO and Congress should be watched closely this year.

[Kaposhi]

Starting watching Black Gold. Talks about how local farmers can't compete in domestic or global markets because of WTOs free trade agreements.

[saiary]

study generalized systems of preferences and preferential trade agreements before posting a video like that.

[NaderRaider]

FAIR TRADE NOW!!! WTO is the bane of America

[the1yage]

People's opinions about the WTO are so emotional and one-sided. Everybody hates free trade without looking at the actual cost-benefit. The failure of the Doha round is disgraceful. We couold have stopped rich countries from subsidizing their farmers and let developing countries fill the demand. Of course, the rich countries are reprehensible for putting so many conditions on this. But do activists really think the poor would be better with protectonist tariffs?

[Arto4805]

Ever heard of the infant industry argument..?

[petereberle]

let them starve or buy there products? wto is the best thing that's ever happened to third world countries.

[GrapefruityTikbit]

so let me get this straight - you hate everyone?

[hand112]

All global institutions should be democratic = The IMF, World Bank and the WTO. Currently they are not.

[psykobeat2012]

THE STORY OF STUFF =explain this in a very funny way check it out!!! GOOD VIDEO!!

[NEAR2008]

Well done video!!

There are several notions that aren't publically questioned that can kill us:

1) "Eternal growth" is good for business, & achievable.

2) Family planning is bad

3) Fossil Fuel will last for ever

4) Global warming is a myth

[ciunq]

Wow, I will post it on my blog...

Well, I think that the WTO is not just a simple organization. It is THE first organization (the GATT was just an agreement) and I think it is not working properly. Now we have almost 300 regional preferencial free trade agreements (if not more) so the WTO will have to pay more attention to the development countries to find an exit to the Doha Round.

[john3427]

I am not a fan of the WTO, but this video is not 100% accurate.

Besides, it doesn't actually explain HOW the WTO is harming the third world countries. The WTO is simply an organisation that enforces the SAME rules on all its members. So the video should explain how these same rules are harming the third world while the first world takes advantage of them. It doesn't do so.

[ATEAisNo1]

WTO is a forum 4 Core countries: USA, Japana, UK, Germany & France. I watched USA's budget they wanna increase GDP, i mean people will die from undeveloped countries more and more. Sorry.

[Roscoe1982]

Liberalizations is the way to go, it does increase trade but the big countries like the U.S and Europe have to live up to their own ideals of liberalizing trade and stop protecting their own inefficient industries. Its not the WTO doing wrong but the big power countries bringing it down.

[ahnd]

100% agreed

[joselito80]

THIS IS SOOOOOOOO TRUE!!! South america can not aloud WTO go take over!!

[ecal]

Down to WTO! Malaysia is facing FTA with America! Down to Bush trade Policy!

[freehkorg]

WTO is working for the rich! World trade is a joke when you cannot protect the basic rights of local workers and farmers!

In the U.S., farmers are large and practice extensive farming. They are also protected by crop insurance programs highly subsidized by the U.S. government. In India, for instance, farmers practice intensive farming. They are basically family business, not protected by any insurance programs. Down Down WTO!

[jhargreaves321]

yes yes yes!

[cocodapitbull]

wonderful we need more videos of this sort, we have to do something before our planet is turned into the landfill of the universe!

[distressed7]

This is excellent. Great work. We need to bring this beast to its knees and then kill the thing. This is the real War on Terror. Not the scam of the US Gov't.

[radi0head1]

Great vid

[afterimages]

Thank you for this video, qrizzlyhuggz!

But it is difficult for me to understand the contents although i could understand some of them, because my english is so poor...

Please summarize the contents.

Thank you very much!!