Marx on free trade

[Brad De Long]

>Doug, while you have a point here -- Certainly JfJ was a landmark 
>success -- the
>real threat of NAFTA et al is not lowering of tariffs (i.e., conventional free
>trade) but the supranational bodies that can take actions overriding national
>law.  I suspect that these powers represent the real threat of trade 
>agreements.
>
>
>
>Michael Perelman
>Economics Department
>California State University
>michael at ecst.csuchico.edu
>Chico, CA 95929
>530-898-5321
>fax 530-898-5901

And just what bodies are those? Do they fly black helicopters?

As I understood it, NAFTA was not self-enforcing. There are forums to 
discuss (and apply sanctions) to countries that violate their NAFTA 
obligations. But there is no super-sovereignty with jurisdiction over 
U.S. citizens or organizations.

Not that a (democratically-accountable) supra-national authority 
would necessarily be a bad thing. Because NAFTA is not 
self-enforcing, the U.S. and Canada have no power to force Mexican 
local police to live up to labor side agreements...

Brad DeLong