One of the reasons I opposed the recent fast track Trans-Pacific Partnership was because it allows countries to challenge national laws if those laws “restrain trade.” For example, let’s say Australia passes a law to discourage cigarette smoking.
A Ukrainian, Taras Kachka, could then argue that cigarette companies in the Ukraine were losing business because they couldn’t sell as many cigarettes and bring suit against Australia.
Oh, wait, that is really happening. Even worse, Mr. Kachka was representing the United States Chamber of Commerce, which is using international trade agreements as a way to fight anti-smoking laws all across the globe. Americans are working to ensure that Chinese, Jamaicans, and Indonesians have a right to lung cancer, emphysema and heart disease, as long as it sells cigarettes.
I get tired of people praising capitalism. Capitalism has no morals. It has no conscience. If something makes money (fracking, coal-fired plants, automatic weapons), then it is a good thing. After all, the Gross National Product depends on goods bought and sold. If those goods cause cancer, hurt people, wreck the environment, so be it.
No comments:
Post a Comment