WTO Trade Talks Fail
July 24th, 2006 by Stephen
Christian Aid’s website has the leader Body blow to world poor as World Trade Organisation talks sink.
This is and indictment on the EU (the world’s largest economy), the U.S.A and Japan and their protectionist policies that keep us rich whilst locking the poor countries of the world out of our markets.
The unremarkable failure of leadership from the largest world economies is only matched by the apathy of the electorates of the same. When we vote, how many of us ask our potential MEPs, or national governments what heir stance will be on the protectionism that brings so much misery to the world?
Instead of asking such pertinent questions, we are enjoined to consider our own job markets and our own prosperity – as though we don’t already have enough of what we have that we cannot afford to share? And as though opening up our markets will really make us poorer, when we could be richer.
What is the core of the problem? Peter Mandelson blames the U.S.A, which is languishing under the rudderless Bush presidency, and meandering towards mid term elections.
There is probably truth in Mandelson’s claims, but the E.U. Common Agricultural Policy really must be systematically dismantled. Agricultural subsidy should be aimed at maintenance of the countryside, and not based on production of goods that people don’t want for prices people won’t pay.
And Mandelson may be right about the U.S.A, but his old friend Tony Blair, who got him his Brussels job, completely blew our best chance at CAP reform when he surrendered the UK’s best bargaining chip to force France to wean itself off agricultural subsidy, by giving away much of the UK rebate for nothing more than the chance for Tony Blair to say his presidency reached a budget settlement.
We should have offered the whole rebate for the chance to completely transform the CAP.
And next time there is an election – ask your candidate what their position is on trade protectionism.
