>Doug Henwood :
>
>[further proof that the WTO isn't the powerful
>rich countries' cabal that lots of left critics
>see it as]
>
>Financial Times - December 15, 2005
>
>Making sense of WTO's bewildering variety
>By Guy de Jonquieres
>Published: December 15 2005 02:00 | Last updated: December 15 2005 02:00
>
>
>
>
>^^^^^
>CB; Not to be contrary, but when I read this article , I didn't exactly get
>a good impression of the WTO.
Did I say it was good? I just said it's not the mighty ogre that some people (hi Carrol!) would have you believe.
> First ,the authors are "bewildered" by the
>variety of the human race. We might euphemistically call that ethnocentrism.
It's the Financial Times, not The People's Weekly World.
>Although indispensable to managing meetings, the
>Green Room is resented by those excluded. Anger
>at being sidelined prompted poorer countries to
>walk out of the Cancun talks, precipitating their
>collapse. This time, co-ordinators have been
>charged with consulting and informing them about
>developments.
>
>^^^^
>CB: Sounds like the real decisions are made isolated from the majority of
>the "herd", who resent that.
Uh, the Cancun meeting collapsed with no decisions, real or unreal, actually made. Because the poorer countries walked out. Again, not the rich countries' cabal you'd gather from reading Laurie Wallach.
>^^^^^
>"After many recent WTO meetings, participants have
>departed saying there must be a better way of
>doing business. However, despite numerous
>proposals for reforms, none has yet been devised."
>
>CB: Doesn't exactly sound like they are doing better.
Like good, who said better?
Doug