RE: Sid Schniad on China and the WTO

["Nathan Newman" <nathan.newman@xxxxxxxx>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-pen-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:owner-pen-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Louis Proyect
> The following excerpt from the ICFTU's 1999 Annual survey of violations of
> trade union rights reveals, for those who are not already aware of the
> fact, that the U.S. has some of the most barbaric labour practices in the
> industrialized world. The inclination of American WTO opponents to point a
> self-righteous finger at China on the issue of labour rights boggles the
> mind. If the issue is worthiness to belong to the WTO, perhaps they should
be
> insisting that the U.S. be excluded.

The issue is not "worthiness"- as a bastion of capitalist exploitation, of
course the US is worthy to join, as is China.  The question is how given
national political systems, workers can exert political pressure against the
global system.   Voting "no" against expansion is a strategic tactic, not a
moral statement.

And if Europe or Canada wants to impose sanctions against US goods made by
union-busters, more power to them.  Every country should have not only the
right but the duty to refuse to import goods made in violation of the ILO
and international labor standards.  We need a global movement to refuse the
importing, consumption and pension investment in goods made by union-busters
and environment destroyers.

What the heck is going on here?  Did you all support NAFTA?  Did you support
the MAI?  Did you support fast-track?

Why was a no on NAFTA considered progressive by most leftists, but suddenly
no on a deal with China is suddenly a betrayal of left principles?

The only explanation I have is residual Maoism.  Even if you liked Mao, he's
dead folks.  US capitalists think Chinese capitalists are swell.  It's too
bad that supposed leftists think they're swell too.

Most of the fair trade activists in the US lobbied for the US not to join
the WTO, so it is not self-righteous to fight its expansion to other
countries.

But if you think it's self-righteous to use Chinese human rights and workers
rights abuses to oppose the China deal, then go join the Wall Street Journal
editoral page who feel the same way.  I condemn labor rights abuses when
made in China or in the United States or in Burma.

-- Nathan Newman