Re: O'neill opens his mouth again

["Charles Jannuzi" <jannuzi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Paul 'Alcoa can't wait' O'Neill:

>>"I made note of the fact that right now something of the order of 1,000
requests of exemptions (to tariffs) are being looked at and I think as
some of these exemption requests are processed that the shrillness of
this conversation will be reduced," O'Neill told reporters after meetings<<

It would be interesting to see if any conclusions could be drawn about what
decision procedures and/or principles were applied to grant exclusions. It
might seem Blair supporting Bush on Iraq will put Corus at the top of the
list--especially as Corus agreed to roll over and show submission to US
aluminum interests and sell off its aluminum division. Hussein must be
destroyed was probably no sooner out of Blair's mouth than Corus must be
exempted was.

We know that NAFTA companies get excluded, but would that, for example,
include a Japanese multinational set up in Mexico?

I notice that plenty of people in the current Bush regime have an interest
in metals (no surprise in such a big business and 'strategic' industry
regime) .

What American companies want is higher prices in their protected markets and
consolidation that benefits the key players big and strong enough to
continue with the consolidation GLOBALLY.

This would include O'Neill and his company, Alcoa. But it also might include
the Bush family's Carlyle Group, since it owns a steel production capacity
as part of its defense holdings. And it ties in with its European
investments like Groupe Genoyer.

This is still yet another example of strategic brinksmanship in trade and
foreign policy that is designed to benefit those who buy access to the
politics and government of the US.
There is most definitely a plan and a method behind it all.

Charles Jannuzi