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ORIGINAL 2004 PLATFORM LANGUAGE
I. DEMOCRACY
D. FOREIGN POLICY
3. TRADE
We urge our government to do the following:
- Re-formulate all international trade relations and
commerce as currently upheld by the North
American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the
World Trade Organization (WTO), the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World
Bank (WB), and the nascent Free Trade Area of the
Americas (FTAA) to protect the labor, human
rights, economy, environment and domestic
industry of partner and recipient nations so that
the growth of local industry and agriculture has
the advantage over foreign corporate domination.
- Re-structure the rules of performance of the IMF/
WB to end the debts of recipient nations, and to
install strict standards in the IMF/WB that control
the use of grants or loans to prevent fraud, misuse,
and subversion of funds by recipient
governments.
- Re-write the rules for investment of corporate
capital in projects operated under the IMF/WB to
guarantee the rights of the citizens of the nations
receiving the investment and their right to public
ownership and control of their own resources.
- Mandate and protect labor’s right to organize,
create unions and negotiate with management in
all countries receiving U.S. investment, and
require U.S. corporations that operate in other
countries to guarantee those workers the same
rights that American workers enjoy.
- Legislate and enable oversight by an independent
agency or a labor union to verify that foreign
workers’ rights are protected.
- At home, secure the rights of our states to establish
stricter standards for health, safety, and for the
environment than those of our national
government, and to protect themselves against
substandard, imported goods.
- Secure the right of states and municipalities to
refuse to invest in foreign businesses that do not
abide by their standards for imported goods, fair
trade, and environmental protection.
- Prohibit U.S. corporations from avoiding or
evading payment of their taxes by banking abroad
or locating their charters offshore.
- Every day over $1 trillion dollars circles the globe
in currency trade—wreaking havoc on loweconomy
nations—without obligation to
sustainable investment. We seek to restrict the
unfettered flow of capital and currency trade, and
levy the Tobin tax of .05% on cross border
currency transactions. [See section E.2.Fair
Taxation on page 62 in chapter IV]
- We support the funding and expansion of nongovernment
organizations (NGOs) in their
missions to educate and train people of less
developed nations in initiating local business and
economic development, and in providing health
care and family planning.
- Under the agency of the United Nations, we
demand that our government renew and initiate
government funding and support for family
planning, contraception, and abortion in all
countries that request it.
- We reject the U.S. government's economic
blockade of Cuba. We ask the U.S. Congress to lift
the embargo and restore normal diplomatic
relations and respect for national sovereignty, and
demand that the U.S. government end its veto of
U.N. resolutions pertaining to Cuba.
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PROPOSED 2008 PLATFORM LANGUAGE
I. DEMOCRACY
D. FOREIGN POLICY
3. TRADE
Free trade is not fair trade. US corporations, protected by the US government, and given license by trade agreements, have extracted resources, degraded the environment and exploited labor in underdeveloped countries for years. Under the label “free trade” and with the collaboration of the IMF/World Bank, Corporations have profited themselves and impoverished underdeveloped nations rather than bringing their development up to a level where they could participate and sustain themselves in the competition of a fair trade world..
Free Trade is market capitalism for the profit of the investor. It has impoverished the recipient nations and ravaged the environment while advertising to be a benevolent investor.
- We urge our government to do the following:
- Re-formulate all international trade relations and commerce as currently held by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), (Central Americal Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), the World Trade Organization (WTO), the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank (WB), and the nascent Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). The new formulation must be Fair Trade and the creation of a level playing field. It must protect labor, human rights, the environment and grow the local economy of receiver nations. Especially local agriculture and water supply must be protected from foreign corporate control and domination.
- Cancel the debts of recipient nations; re-formulate the rules on capital investment and install strict standards in the IMF/WB that control the use of grants or loans; prevent fraud, misuse, and subversion of funds by recipient, dictatorial governments.
- Restore and protect the rights of citizens to public ownership of their resources and the use of its benefits against the exploitation of corporations.
- Prohibit US investment or corporate investment and operation of industries in foreign countries unless: Labor’s right to organize, create unions and negotiate with management is built into the contract. and any subcontract.
- Trade - imports; At home, restrict the import of foreign goods to the US that come from nations that lack protection equivalent to US standards for labor, health, safety, and the environment and that are legally enforced.
- Individual states must be allowed to set higher standards than the federal gov’t and to refuse sub-standard imports that imported from non-compliant foreign states.
- Secure the right of states and municipalities to refuse to invest in foreign businesses that do not abide by their standards for imported goods, fair trade, and environmental protection.
- Prohibit U.S. corporations from avoiding or evading payment of their taxes by basing their charters abroad in off-shore islands.
- Every day over $1 trillion dollars circles the globe in currency trade _ wreaking havoc on low_economy nations _ without obligation to sustainable investment. We seek to restrict the unfettered flow of capital and currency trade, and levy the Tobin tax of .05% on cross border currency transactions. [See section E. 2. Fair Taxation on page 62 in chapter IV of 2004 Platform]
- We support the funding and expansion of non-government organizations (NGOs) that work in undeveloped countries to educate and train people to start a local business; to improve health care and make family planning available wherever it is called for.
- Under the agency of the United Nations, we demand that our government renew and expand government funding and support for family planning, contraception, and abortion in all countries that request it. (ref. II Social Justice, A, 1. Women’s Rights)
- We reject the U.S. government's economic blockade of Cuba.
- We ask the U.S. Congress to lift the embargo of Cuba and restore normal diplomatic relations and respect for national sovereignty.
- We demand that the U.S. government end its veto of U.N. resolutions pertaining to Cuba, and cease any and all covert action by the CIA or its hired help in Cuba.
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