Why the Colombia Free Trade Agreement Will Benefit America

[foreveracone]

"This agreement will be good for America and Colombians for three reasons" (:29) Bullshit it's just for US benefit

[intuitiveexplorer]

Free trade agreement with Columbia? Does this mean they will send more cocaine here?

[youfja]

Free Trade, Americans are selling out

It's so sad.

[bridgettedunn]

Will it benefit the Columbian people? Not the rich, I mean the AVERAGE to poor Colombian person. Will it benefit them? Or is America just preying on more innocent so that a few greedy jerks can get rich. Because average Americans sure are not benefiting off of this crap.

[JhoffaX]

Oh, it's those idiots from Heritage again..

Look, this is nothing but a front group. Just like Santelli's rant was BS astroturfing and the Wash Times is a propaganda front started with Moonie money, their information is next to worthless.

Like Rush Limbaugh (Another paid front man and shill. sort of a super sized Armstrong Williams or Judith Miller) they'll give you HALF the story. Their half.

Like any group of highly paid, professional manipulators- Take it with a with a grain of salt.

[MasterPervy123]

Oye Gringos Retardados Hijos de Puta anda a estos videos en you tube sobre el TLC o us free trade que el hijo de puta de alan garcia suporta el tlc que es una mentira.

Free trade is a LIE.

Peru Free Trade Scam

No al TLC- No to the FTA with Peru

NAFTA: Ten Years of Broken Promises

THE CORRUPT UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT - PART 1-14

TLC? Solo Mentiras

Senador dice las verdades del TLC - NAFTA fue un FRACASO

[AznSensation90]

Disagreed. Free trade forces companies to re-inovate themselves to compete in a global level against foriegn companies. And this colombian free trae agreement has pontential, it can help the American manufacturing/exporting sector of the economy.

[ronII1974]

free trade forces companies to pursue the lowest common denominator of behavior, Increases reliance on fossil fuels and generally suppresses wages of rich and poor nations. Support FAIR TRADE Try to buy Local and buy used. Try to Reject predatory capitalism.

[louiethegreater]

One must themselves the question; is it the responsability of the American Middleclass to build consumer markets for Multinational Corperations?

The Heritage Foundation, is nothing more than a Washington lapp dog. Political Internationalism is the hidden motive behind most of these think tanks, not Free Trade based on business and finance.

[ocifuen]

Juanda609

In fact we already assemble some of those car brands here and the prices are not so bad, we need to focus more is on prosperity for the people so they can buy them more easily; we have the resources but the money is not flowing into the hands that really need them. So the Auto INC thing doesnt convince anybody We ALL need fair trade, no free trade.

[ocifuen]

Hi Juanda609

We Colombians will lose more than what we could gain on this. That will only benefit American auto companies and may be a few people here. Most parts come from Asia and if anybody travels to Colombian will see that we dont use American cars so much, we like Japanese, German and French, like for example: Toyota, Mazda, Renault, Peugeot and BMW (BMWs for the ones that can buy them) etc.

[Juanda609]

ocifuen

your are right about what you said, but one of the biggest marketing in colombia that are suffering for not having an free trade with the us are the AUTO COMPANIES.

If congress approves free trade with colombia every american car would cost about halve the money we are paying right now.

and this is just one of many things free trade can help the colombian economy.

[ocifuen]

What your government is really interested in is to secure our petroleum for the US since Venezuela doesnt like you right now and Ecuador wants you out. That will damage Colombian ecosystems and destroy entire communities by pulling out that oil And to Colombia isnt that much of a monetary gain the illegal drug trade flow of money more than triples that amount per year What you need to do is to get rid of petroleum and use something else something that will benefit you and not the Oil companies.

[ocifuen]

My God, the guy doesnt even know what he is talking about; he is just reading some script I am a Colombian citizen and I can tell you that we do not need any agreements with the U.S. neither do you. You do not manufacture anything anymore that we could be interested on or need (TVs, Washers, Toys, Clothing etc. is made by China for 1 Peso); neither could we afford them if you make them, if we are talking about food, everything grows here and you already buy from us all we produce

[jocamadad]

Get a clue, dumbass! They won't buy U.S. goods and services because, first of all, we don't make a whole lot of goods in this country anymore and they can't afford to buy what goods we still do make or our services. The only thing this trade agreement will do is the same thing every other dumbass trade agreement our govt. has passed and that is take more U.S. jobs away and help finish off what's left of our manufacturing sector.

[CLD1970]

I call bullshit on this guy. When has anything NAFTA related benefited the U.S.?

That was the start of the downward spiral for the U.S. economy. Lets get some more free trade agreements going with all the countries so we can just seal our own coffins!

Lets get more things shipped here by countries that hate American and want to see us dead, what do you think? That would be great right? *rolls eyes*

[creephorse]

Those agreements also do nothing to benefit the average life in Colombia either. They are basically a means of capitalizing on the low standards of living already in effect in those countries.

It doesn't help the average citizen anywhere.

[xxXCALIBURxx]

Don't believe this man. He is part of the agenda. Columbia would raise our economy momentarily until we fail to come to an agreement with them through this system. We need a larger export rate and a smaller import rate, and to start working in our best industries. Corporate greed and sweatshops don't help us, they destroy us in the long run. What is this guy smoking?

[diefortacos]

learn to read: colOmbia

[Whoo69]

The third point is just silly. I don't give a shit about this "alliance" crap. What kind of protection does fucking Colombia give us against terrorists? Zero. Plan Colombia is a failure and has been a stupid, immoral policy from the beginning. It's well-intentioned, but it's hurt a lot of law-abiding citizens, like farmers. It has done little to stop FARC. Let FARC fight the narcos on their own. We don't owe them a fucking dime. I'm sick of this shit. We're not threatened by FARC.

[Whoo69]

Have you guys at Heritage or the GOP ever thought "Hmm... maybe these agreements aren't such a good idea. A lot of people lose their jobs and small communities get devastated" rather than just shilling for the corporations who want these agreements the most?? Does it cross your mind to fight for the workers' interests for once rather than the already-strong rich elites who don't need so much help? Fair trade is what we need, not free trade. Unrestricted trade is NOT conservative.

[Whoo69]

Besides, we already have a fucking $14 Trillion economy. Isn't that good enough?? And I find it appalling how hypocritical the people for this bill are. If we lose jobs to this agreement, it's ok as long as those jobs go to Colombia? That's not very patriotic, is it?

No amount of trade agreements is gonna turn us from a $14 Trillion econ. to a 20 trillion one overnight. Stop with the fantasies and utopianism, Heritage.

[Whoo69]

"Expand the economy with 40 million new buyers"? Oh, really? Well, it doesn't seem that way with Mexico, where we turned a 40 billion trade surplus into a deficit in a matter of years after NAFTA. We have a huge trade deficit with China and numerous other countries. Look, colombia is far poorer than we are! Even if we do export more tariff-free goods, teh chances of us making huge gains in trade are slim to none, esp. compared to how much more we'll import and buy. They won't buy much.

[Whoo69]

It amazes me how ignorant the Heritage Foundation and so-called "conservative movement" (why still call it a movement 40 years later?) are. Trade agreements don't create jobs! More often, they destroy jobs. Any real study on the amount of jobs lost to NAFTA shows that a lot more poeple got laid off than new jobs created here by Mexican insourcers. And how exactly do you "prove" an agreement creates jobs? How do you know it wasn't just a good economy?

[seneca67]

Before we sign another free trade deal we should evaluate the current trade imbalance situation. Have gained reciprocal access to Chinas market? Have we gained anywhere? How many jobs have we lost?

[mbmart2005]

WOW if this guy is for real I am sure he is on drugs.Those are the same 3 reasons for NAFTA back in the 90's.

1.GROW ECONOMY FOR THE CORPORATIONS

2.CREATE JOBS IN COMLOMBIA AS SLAVES FOR THE COPORATIONS,HERE ALL THE REMAINING MANUFACTURING WILL GO

3.PROTECT FROM WHO? CHAVEZ IS NOT GOING TO ATTACK HE DOES NOT HAVE THE ARMY OR $ AGAIN PUTTIG FEAR IN THE AMERICANS

SOCIALISM =A community in which power, wealth and opportunity are in the hands of the many, not the few. THE OPPOSITE OF CAPITALISM.

[Jada54]

Imagine that the most messed up country in Latin America is America's strongest ally...who would have thought.

[Alejolas]

Jada54, Support proof on what you say... I'm Colombian. Explain yourself if you know what are you talking about. Most messed up country? what exactly do you mean? Do you even know where its located? Do a little Research first, are you a trucker?

[agustino25]

you dont know nothing about colombia,,,you only know is insulting us...Colombia is very good, and is one of the best country around the world, because we have everythings....USA have powerfull weapon and sell everywhere and teach in the world to fight,,,thats very dirty bussines from USA...and...USA blames in other country as violent...etc....that's USA fault.... they only care is MONEY not the humanity.. and also American people.

[mujaku]

This guy is conflating free-trade with U.S. companies sending U.S. manufacturing jobs to Colombia. How is this free-trade? CFTA is just a scheme to send more U.S. jobs to Colombia, a country that murders union workers, and runs sweat shops. Remember NAFTA? In Pennsylvania alone, 1,583 plants have been closed. Count to a thousand then multiply that by the suffering of American families. America first--not gangster corporations.

[diefortacos]

do you get your information from hugo chavez? certainly sounds like it

[404inc]

Free trade is never free. There is always a price that is paid.

[bleistiftmann]

These reasons are the same advanced for the NAFTA agreement. The working class American has been left holding the bag while corporations have pocketed huge profits. Frankly, this man's arguments stink! The Heritage Foundation also stinks! This is just more Republican BS propaganda!! Go congress!! Protect Americans!!!

[mcplanetearth]

Understand this, The establishment and mainstream media has waged economic war on the american people to ruin the working class empower the corporate vampires and buy your assets back at discount when you are penniless and desperate. Never believe anything that comes from these blood suckers that hate YOU and your family! <<< again just for you highondrugs i mean hayak! pain yourself somemore maybe you'll drop dead. I'm sick of you fascist apologists.

[mcplanetearth]

High on hayek, you are high on something.. living way out of touch the price of gold has risen because the dollar has dropped in value. Now id say your some sniveling rich person who is a globalist and hates prosperous americans. Real economists will tell you free trade has played a big part in the collapse of the US economy for the middle class.. Again pull your retarded head out of your ass. Rich people will always benefit from slave labor but the working class loses.

[mcplanetearth]

Understand this, The establishment and mainstream media has waged economic war on the american people to ruin the working class empower the corporate vampires and buy your assets back at discount when you are penniless and desperate. Never believe anything that comes from these blood suckers that hate YOU and your family!

[highonhayek]

It pains me to see people adhere to Marxist dogma.

If corporate vampires were stealing from us then why does the standard of living, in Western Civilization, keep rising decade after decade?

[mcplanetearth]

Standard of living going up??? have you checked the price of gas lately?? Wage stagnation?? Working harder and harder for less year after year.. The crashing US dollar?? Hey idiot... pull your head out of your ass.

[highonhayek]

Wages have not been falling, they have been rising - yes, adjusted for inflation.

The price of oil is high because the dollar is weak.

Google the phrase "price of gold vs. oil graph" and you'll see that the REAL price of oil (which means relative to gold) has stayed wonderfully flat.

[richi1173]

The US economy is a consumer economy, not a "big company get richer economy". If you allow for free trade, then you lose jobs for the masses to the cheaper outsourced workers. That means no money to spend on commodities, just the necessities, and that hurts those companies that benefit from such labor. The outsourced workers get exploited, then their countries industries cannot compete, and they rely on the companies that are losing business on two fronts. In the end, we all get screwed

[mujaku]

This guy is stupid. Free trade often raises the price of domestic products. When the U.S. exports a commodity like lumber, the price of it goes up at home! This happens in Argentina which exports beef and wheat to the U.S. The price of beef and wheat goes up sharply for the average Argentine! Only protectionism works. It is a proven fact. Not only does it create many high paying jobs, it also increases exports! This has been proven by Paul Bairoch the eminent economic historian.

[mujaku]

Any college student who kept awake during economics 101 is familiar with the Stolper and Samuelson theorem (1941) that essentially says wage rates for unskilled labor will decline under free trade just as the profit rates for capital will increase. So if you are wondering where all the manufacturing went and why a handful of Americans are filthy rich, well, there you have the answer. It is free trade. So what does this free-traitor want? More free trade!

[ikekll]

"Lobbyist," Dr. Susan Schwab is busy these days:

-USTR Issues 2008 Special 301 Report

04/25/2008

Who is Dr. Susan Schwab? Prior to being appointed as Deputy U.S. Trade Representative, Schwab was on the Board of Directors for Petroleum & Resources Corporation.

PEO is a closed-end equity investment company emphasizing petroleum and natural resources.

Trade Representative = lobbyist?

[o0xst]

...but if it fails, Colombian DJ's can do a loop sample of that nose snorting noise this dude makes when trying to sell their fancy coke to wall street traders.. "heeeey man! you want to sound like this guy who has gotten bad coke? no?? buy our flavas!!!!"

[o0xst]

This is so funny. It will create US jobs? Are you kidding me? How about the fact that a lot of NAFTA trade is intercorporate?!?!!?! Therefore jobs are sent to Mexico so as to qualify as trade?!??!!? You Heritage Foundation guys would do a lot better job if any of you had ever done an honest days work in your life. Nobody is buying this stuff...no one. Give it up. This isn't a partisan issue, Clinton is the one that made NAFTA fly, he received big money from unions...just like Pelosi..

[SuperJesus316]

HAHAHAHA!

You forgot one thing, it'll benefit companies because they'll get cheap labour in an environment that doesn't allow workers to unionize because the paramilitaries will kill them.

Colombians will by American products.. right, because that's what Colombians need right now.. they need American products, what a joke.

"Protect America".. Yes, because Venezuela somehow is a threat to America. Go fuck off.

[benjamaiLL]

Free trade is a good thing.

(waiting for threats and personal attacks)

[fishywimmy]

interestingly enuf on c-span "political" advisor was saying Colombia Trade Agreement went thru as mandate by Congress 2006:(nothing else added to this:) then said ended 1/08; but Congress agreed to extend thru 9/08; Next day on Round Table with George Stenopholus (?) sp; ABC; it was stated Bill Clinton went there; Hillary's campaign given $800,000; by folks WANTING this in Colombia; & now ITS A DONE DEAL???? This is how USA Congress works! WHO PAYS THEM THE $ folks!

[JoanneChristie]

Now JIM OR JAMES ROBERTS HAS A VAGINA! ITS NOT GOOD FOR AMERICA AND NEITHER IS HE! HE AGENDA HAS NEVER PUT AMERICA OR Americans FIRST! THE "Americans" ARE THE ASSHOLES AND THEY CAN HAVE A OPINION! HAVE YOU NOTICED YOUR NOT ALLOW TO HAVE THAT ANYMORE EITHER!!!!!!!!!

[ikekll]

"It is important for American workers and farmers and entrepreneurs that the Speaker of the House schedule a vote on the merits of the agreement," U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab said in a speech.

"That and only that has the potential of reviving the Colombia free trade agreement," Schwab said at the U.S. Export-Import Bank's annual trade conference.

[ikekll]

Who is Dr. Susan Schwab? Prior to being appointed as Deputy U.S. Trade Representative, Schwab was on the Board of Directors for Petroleum & Resources Corporation. Stock symbol PEO $40.18

PEO is a closed-end equity investment company emphasizing petroleum and natural resources.

Trade Representative = lobbyist?

[ikekll]

The money trail on this scam is easy...

not even the tip of the iceberg- GE, energy lobbyists, government plants - Morris Busby...

We, as US citizens are fed up with your bullshit!

[ikekll]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi offered some hope on Wednesday for congressional passage of a free trade agreement with Colombia..."Perhaps we can get some of the trade agreements through. We did get the Peru trade agreement recently in a bipartisan way," Pelosi said in a speech to the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, whose members were in Washington to push Congress to approve the Colombia free trade pact and two others with Panama and South Korea."

[ikekll]

It doesn't appear Colombia has discontinued attending America's terrorist academy:

"SOA Grads Implicated in Bogota Bombings

A director of Colombian military intelligence and another officer implicated in a series of false attacks and a bombing that killed a civilian and injured 19 soldiers in Bogotá in 2006, attended the U.S. Army School of the Americas."

[ikekll]

What of biodefense stocks sir?

What of big pharma looting?

Let us find out what comes out of the investment petri dish!

[ikekll]

"Wellstone's Voice Sadly Missed in a Spineless Congress"

[ikekll]

Mr. Roberts, what is your TRUE interest in South America? Do you have any investment in South America's petroleum business??

WE ARE FED UP!!!

[ikekll]

Who is Philip D. Zelikow??

The man who covered Dick Cheney's ass in a ver important investigation!!

[tnekkc]

We need to export our liberals.

[o0xst]

why?

[mashdown08]

safe from who venezula wow! so now we have to aid columbia and futher arm them no thanks stay in columbia .stop the oil grab no columbian slant drilling develope other means of power besides columbians are so raceist its gross

[o0xst]

Is their a big shale down there?

[jpmoralesol]

1. Free trade, as was done in Nafta, has made America richer by allowing it's economy to devote more people to skilled labor, that has greater value added.

2. It is true GDP per person in Colombia is far smaller and available dollars for consumption are far fewer, but there are more than 40 million Colombians (not Columbians),30 million of them above the poverty line.

3. It is a bad message to send at this time, that the US does not stand by their allies, the few they still have.

[o0xst]

This has NOTHING to do with "standing by our allies". Have you seen the amount of aid we send to these guys recently?!?!?!? good grief man.

[jpmoralesol]

Let us see. The American government sends money, in the order of tens to hundreds of millions, to help fight drug crops.

In the meantime, the American people sends money, in the order of tens to hundreds of billions, to pay for drugs and to increase drug crops. You are right. America should stop sending this "aid".

Oh and a lot of the aid sent is spent on US contractors and is matched dollar by dollar by the Colombian government.

[o0xst]

So the only money the government gets that it has any real control over are the tariffs, which they need to train people to use the Caterpillars and whatnot that we send them....

[getplaning]

1. Colombian people can not afford to buy US made goods.

2. When US companies take advantage of tax abatements and the elimination of worker protection in the Colombian Free Trade Agreement, they will relocate to Colombia, taking their manufacturing jobs with them.

3. Colombia is one of the last right wing governments in Central America that still can be controlled by the US and US corporations. Protect America? America needs to be protected from people like James Roberts.

[SuperJesus316]

But look on the bright side, the rich will get richer.

[stratvic]

Shouldn't agreements be win win. Big mistake in not discussing the other side of the deal. I am sure the Columbians have good reasons for accepting the deal, but I heard elsewhere that it might be for military reasons which like all military spending will be to the detriment of the population.

[neotoy]

1) Just like NAFTA, corporations will take advantage of slave labor and move more jobs out of the US to increase their profits.

2) Colombians are not going to buy US goods and services that they can't afford.

3) Venezuela is not a socialism. It is a democracy with socialist elements. Multinational corporations threaten our democracy, not Hugo Chavez.

[Tony63efc]

Neotoy I think Chavez has gone too far and I was pleased that he lost the recent election. I do agree strongly with you that Venezuelan politics should be left to the Venezuelans with no interference from the USA.

[Corolo82]

Great! This says it all. This FTA will benefit American economy, while in Colombia de poor will be poorer.

[SuperJesus316]

Ya, but the Colombian elite will by American products.. Hooray!

[Tony63efc]

Will this agreement really create US jobs or will the jobs be outsourced? Benefiting America and benefiting American companies are not necessarily the same thing.

[SuperJesus316]

To the Heritage Foundation it is.

[o0xst]

Trickle down economics = trickle down to satanic freaks like the heritage foundation and then trickle back up to rich fubes...repeat over 'n over until things get as bad as possible. tee hee comma lol

[ikekll]

Mr. Roberts, do have any interest in South America's petroleum business?