[lbo-talk] Davies on Cancun

[kjkhoo at softhome.net]

At 7:25 PM -0500 16/9/03, Shane Taylor wrote:
>He reads it as more about the resurrection of MAI than agricultural
>subsidies.
>
>High Noon in Cancun
>by Daniel Davies
>
>http://www.crookedtimber.org/archives/000520.html
>
>Also, Jagdish Bhagwati had a piece in the Financial Times back in July on
>FTAs.  He said there were about 250 now, soon to be 300.  Roughly, these
>bilateral negotiations end up favoring the developed over the developing
>nations far more than the WTO.  So a fall of the WTO could mean the world
>comes to resemble more, not less, of what the opponents of "corporate
>globalization" fear.

I fear they are both right. The US dumps the collapse on old Europe, 
and proceeds with its bilateral deals. India will likely cave; China 
might talk tough for a while, but will also likely cave. And when 
they do, the rest of us will scramble to stay in the FDI loop.

The thing on which it foundered was symbolically named -- the 
"Singapore issues". Singapore has bilateral FTAs with the US and 
Australia. Singapore is pushing ahead for the ASEAN FTA. A trojan 
horse, joining the bilateral FTAs with the ASEAN FTA.

Back in the days of the anti-apartheid boycott, Singapore continued 
to trade with South Africa, and via Singapore, we used to get South 
African fruits, e.g., in our markets. Ditto with Israeli products.

kj khoo