Progress Report: When Sugar Isn't Sweet

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Tue, 14 Jun 2005 08:07:57 -0700

Progress Report: When Sugar Isn't Sweet

" American Progress Action Fund "

<progress

 

The Progress Report

by Judd Legum, Faiz Shakir, Nico Pitney, Mipe Okunseinde and Christy

Harvey

www.progressreport.org

6/14/2005

 

For news and updates throughout the day, check out our blog at

ThinkProgress.org.

 

CAFTA

 

When Sugar Isn't Sweet

 

With congressional passage of the Central American Free Trade

Agreement (CAFTA) uncertain at best, President Bush faces a " major

embarrassment " as another one of his top priorities heads toward

failure. So Bush is pulling out all the stops. " High-profile

officials, " lobbyists and corporate executives have descended upon

Capitol Hill. The head of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has threatened,

" If you [lawmakers] are going to vote against it, it's going to cost

you. " And President Bush has resorted to " trying to deflect attention

from the economic shortcomings ... by arguing that its rejection would

be a foreign policy setback " and transparent last ditch efforts to

sweeten the pot for lawmakers. It did not have to be this way. CAFTA

does not fail because it is a trade agreement but rather because it

fails to be smart trade policy. Since World War II, presidents have

seen success on major trade deals because they have " tried to pursue a

bipartisan " policy. On the other hand, CAFTA represents another missed

opportunity, where President Bush has chosen ideology over consensus.

 

THE NEW HAVEN, CT, FREE TRADE AGREEMENT: President Bush hails the fact

that CAFTA " would open up a market of 44 million consumers for our

farmers and small business people. " But the combined economies of the

six other CAFTA nations " only equal that of New Haven, Conn. " and

" account for barely one percent of U.S. trade. " U.S. exporters " would

pay lower tariffs, but the prospects for significantly expanding the

volume of exports beyond current levels are speculative to many. "

Though lobbyists in the agriculture industry tout a big increase in

exports, " they judge the size of the CAFTA 6 economies according to

their ability to buy goods that are locally produced and thus locally

priced. These figures say absolutely nothing about the ability of

these countries to afford U.S.-made products, which will be much more

expensive. " By the time CAFTA is fully implemented, the U.S.

International Trade Commission estimates the policy would provide

additional benefits to the U.S. economy worth only " $166 million each

year. "

 

BUSH TRADES AMERICAN JOBS...: Though the " number of [American] workers

likely to be directly affected by CAFTA is small, " these are real

people with real families. Unfortunately, " the Bush administration's

fiscal irresponsibility with tax cuts and unnecessary spending

priorities has crippled our ability to help workers retrain and

compete on the international stage. " Most notable amongst these

failures is the state of the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA)

program, one of the primary safety nets in place for displaced

workers. The Bush administration " has tightened the eligibility

requirements for TAA, denying many workers even the modest resources

available under that program, " and " pursued policies that leave many

workers who qualify for TAA benefits without access to this program. "

From education to small businesses to research and development,

President Bush continues to " [undercut] the domestic investments

necessary for a broad national consensus on trade. "

 

....AND CENTRAL AMERICAN HUMAN DIGNITY...: Wary of the CAFTA agreement,

Central American bishops and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

joined in stating, " The moral measure of any trade agreement should be

how it affects the lives and dignity of poor families and vulnerable

workers. " More than just a human rights issue, labor standards are

" crucial to ensuring that developing nations fully and effectively

participate in the global economy. " President Bush claims that CAFTA

" would bring ... higher labor standards for [Central American]

workers. " In fact, the agreement " would actually weaken the existing

workers' protections currently available ... [in] the region. "

Furthermore, though none of the Central American countries are " in

compliance with basic International Labor Organization standards, "

CAFTA sets no new labor standards. Instead, its only enforceable labor

provision requires participating nations to police themselves, even

though they have " a poor record. "

 

....FOR MORE CORPORATE PROFITS: Though President Bush did not take the

time to look out for workers from the United States or Central

America, the usual players will be doing just fine under CAFTA. The

pharmaceutical and telecommunications industries would be " some of the

biggest winners if the pact is approved. " With public health an issue

of concern, there is reason for worry over CAFTA. The Bush

administration's insistence that CAFTA contain various protective

provisions for the drug industry " could increase the cost of

much-needed drugs in the region. " The Costa Rican pharmaceutical

industry estimates that the cost of medicines will increase by 800

percent " under CAFTA intellectual property provisions. " One would

think " workers' rights would enjoy the same guaranteed protections as

CAFTA provides to prescription drug companies. Environmental and food

safety laws deserve the same legal standing that CAFTA extends to CDs

and Hollywood films. "

 

IRAQ

 

The American Public Is on the March

 

While President Bush continues to offer a rosy vision of Iraq that

ignores the reality on the ground, the American public is indicating

that it wants real answers to the degenerating situation in Iraq.

Polls show that no matter how you ask the question, the public is

dissatisfied with the Bush policy. Instead of responding to concerns

by offering more details about an exit strategy, Bush continues to

grandstand with simple phrases like " Freedom is on the march. " AS

CASUALTIES MOUNT, STILL NO STRATEGY FOR SUCCESS: As of yesterday, at

least 943 people, including U.S. forces, had died since Prime Minister

Ibrahim Jaafari announced his government six weeks ago. Daily attacks

in Iraq kill scores of people, but do not attract the media attention

they once did. Today, already Iraqi police say at least 23 people were

killed and 58 others wounded in two separate insurgent attacks.

Yesterday, the U.S. death toll pushed past 1,700, and still the Bush

administration is unwilling to give details on an exit strategy. The

public unease over Iraq is best reflected in the changing position of

Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC), who coined the phrase " freedom fries " but

now says he will introduce legislation this week calling for a phased

withdrawal of U.S. troops. Congress previously rejected an effort by

some lawmakers to force the administration to come forward with a

detailed exit strategy. The White House has rejected the growing

chorus of voices seeking more answers by falling back on its usual

response: " We will leave when we complete the mission. "

 

PUBLIC GROWING UNEASY WITH BUSH'S UNWILLINGNESS TO CHANGE COURSE: A

new Gallup poll shows that nearly 60 percent of Americans favor some

sort of withdrawal of troops, with half who take this position wanting

complete withdrawal and the other half seeking a phased withdrawal. A

recent Washington Post-ABC News poll showed a majority of Americans --

52 percent -- believe the war in Iraq has not contributed to the

long-term security of the United States. And an AP-Ipsos poll finds

that 56 percent of Americans disapprove of Bush's handling of Iraq.

Together, these numbers have also served to undermine President Bush's

effectiveness, leaving his job approval ratings at their lowest levels

ever. Yet instead of changing course and offering the American public

some hope that a new approach will be taken to resolve the conflict,

Bush continues to whitewash the problem with repetitive assurances

that " Democracy is on the march. Freedom is on the march. "

 

INSURGENCY FUELING A NEW GENERATION OF FIGHTERS: The Bush

administration is finding it hard to answer even the simplest

questions about Iraq. White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan said

yesterday, " In terms of assessments [of how things are going in Iraq],

I think that's best left to the coalition forces to give you

assessments of what the latest is on the ground. " According to

military officials on the ground, foreign fighters are increasingly

fueling the Iraqi insurgency. The flow of foreign fighters onto the

battlefields of Iraq is a continuing fallout of the Bush

administration's insistence on going into Iraq with too few forces and

no post-conflict plan, thus leaving the borders porous. As a result,

the military believes these foreign fighters are developing into " new

extremist " who plan to spread the terrorist tactics they have

acquired across the globe.

BUSH ADMINISTRATION HAS FEW ANSWERS FOR DEALING WITH THE INSURGENCY:

Despite President Bush's public statements that the enemy " cannot be

deterred by negotiations, " the U.S. forces in Iraq have so few answers

as to how to deal with the insurgency that they have recently been

forced to engage in talks with the insurgents. In an indication that

the choices we're facing in Iraq are between bad and worse, the

administration is even considering " difficult-to-swallow " ideas such

as granting amnesty for some Iraqi insurgents. The recent moves

demonstrate that Bush's slogans do not constitute a policy, and it

will take more than military action to resolve the Iraq conflict.

CONSTITUTIONAL DRAFTING PROCESS TURNING INTO LONG-FEARED SECTARIAN

CONFLICTS: The 55 legislative members selected by the Iraqi people

just four months ago are encountering great difficulties in resolving

the framework of the Iraqi Constitution. The foremost problem facing

the Iraqis is how best to include the Sunni Arab population in the

constitutional drafting process. Currently, Sunni Arabs hold only two

of the 55 seats on the committee, a problem which precipitated a phone

call from President Bush to President Jalal Talabani yesterday. The

intelligence community has repeatedly warned of the problem of

sectarian conflicts, yet the Bush administration failed to change

course. To resolve the issue, the U.S. has finally sought to assemble

a true international coalition that includes our European allies.

According to a senior administration official, " Having the French, the

Germans, the Russians and the United States sitting together and

underscoring a common vision for Iraq will be a significant event,

even at this point. "

Under the Radar

RACE -- SENATORS FAILED TO CONDEMN LYNCHING: The Senate yesterday

issued a rare formal apology (its first of any kind to African

Americans), expressing regret " for having rejected decades of pleas to

make lynching a federal crime. " Could there possibly be a less

controversial resolution? Surprisingly, the answer is yes. Several

senators waited until the last minute to add their names to the

resolution, when they knew it was scheduled for a vote. And

outrageously, at least six senators refused to co-sponsor the

resolution, including Sens. Richard Shelby (R-AL), Thad Cochran

(R-MI), Trent Lott (R-MI), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), John Cornyn (R-TX),

and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX).

GLOBAL WARMING -- EXXON IN DENIAL: The Wall Street Journal reports,

" Openly and unapologetically, the world's No. 1 oil company disputes

the notion that fossil fuels are the main cause of global warming.

Along with the Bush administration, Exxon opposes the Kyoto accord and

the very idea of capping global-warming emissions. " While companies

like BP and Royal Dutch Shell are starting to embrace alternative

energy sources, Exxon " publicly predicts that solar and wind energy

will continue to provide less than 1% of the world's energy supply in

2025. " President Bush trumpets hydrogen power as the long-term

solution to our energy problems. But Exxon " puts its research dollars

into extracting hydrogen from petroleum, not from water. "

FOREIGN POLICY -- BUSH BLOCKS DEMAND FOR PROBE INTO UZBEK MASSACRES:

One month ago, White House ally and Uzbek dictator Islam Karimov

ordered his military to massacre hundreds of his own citizens in

" probably the worst atrocity conducted by a government against

protesters since Tiananmen Square. " President Bush stayed silent about

the killings for weeks, then called only for an international

investigation into the massacres. But now, it seems, he doesn't even

want that. The Washington Post reports that U.S. defense officials

have " helped block a new demand for an international probe " from NATO

into the killings.

ECONOMY -- AMERICA'S NEW GILDED AGE WORRIES GREENSPAN: The gap between

the richest and poorest Americans has been growing for decades --

today, while the wealthiest 20 percent of Americans took in 50 percent

of the country's income, the bottom fifth's share has dropped to just

3.5 percent. Questioned about this growing divide last week, even

Federal Reserve chief Alan Greenspan admitted it poses a serious

danger. " As I've often said, this is not the type of thing which a

democratic society -- a capitalist democratic society -- can really

accept without addressing, " Greenspan said.

INTEL -- RIGHT LEADS EFFORT TO THWART 9/11 COMMISSION REFORMS: " The

new national intelligence director, John D. Negroponte, is not yet

heeding a top recommendation of the Sept. 11 Commission to tear down

barriers that divided U.S. spy agencies, " according to a former

commission member quoted by the Los Angeles Times. Moreover,

congressional conservatives led by House Armed Services Chairman

Duncan Hunter (R-CA) are also trying " to limit Negroponte's ability to

move intelligence personnel between agencies, pressing for legislation

that would have given relevant committee chairmen like himself the

power to block such moves. "

GOOD NEWS

In a win for community and independent media, the Supreme Court " let

stand an appeals court ruling that limits the number of television

stations, radio stations and newspapers a media company can own in a

single market. "

DON'T MISS

TALKING POINTS: DR-CAFTA Agreement Badly Flawed; Smart Trade Policy

Needed.

HUMAN RIGHTS: What Pakistan is focused on instead of Osama bin Laden.

MEDIA: USA Today takes a trip down Downing Street.

CONSERVATIVES: How the other half lives.

DAILY GRILL

" We have put the enemy on the run, and now they spend their days

avoiding capture, because they know America's Armed Services are on

their trail. "

-- President Bush, 5/27/05

VERSUS

" You better run, you better do what you can

Don't wanna see no blood, don't be a macho man

You wanna be tough, better do what you can

So beat it, but you wanna be bad "

-- Pop Singer Michael Jackson, " Beat It "

DAILY OUTRAGE

With a plate of chicken as a prop, Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) made the

argument that Americans can know that Guantanamo detainees are being

treated well by simply looking at the menu of their meals.

© Copyright 2005 by American Progress Action Fund. All rights reserved.