Thread: Bush Says Deal Would Bring Prosperity (CAFTA)

http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ ... 70373/1004

Published Tuesday, June 7, 2005

Bush Says Deal Would Bring Prosperity
President urges approval of free trade accord.

By GEORGE GEDDA
The Associated Press

FORT LAUDERDALE -- President Bush touted his proposals for a hemisphere-wide free trade agreement, saying they will open the way to peace and prosperity for all nations of the Americas and reduce the attraction of "false ideologies."

Speaking to an Organization of American States foreign ministers meeting, Bush also appealed to the U.S. Congress to approve the Central America-Dominican Republic free trade accord, calling it a "historic opportunity to bring prosperity to people who have never known it."

The 34-nation OAS is debating how far the hemispheric community should go to rescue countries where political instability threatens democratic survival.

Bush did not address the issue directly but said the OAS Democratic Charter assures all people in the Americas the "right to democracy," echoing comments Sunday night by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in a speech to the conference.

"We must act on our charter to support democracy where it is threatened," Rice said. "Wherever a free society is in retreat, a fear society is on the offensive. And the weapon of choice for every authoritarian regime is the organized cruelty of the police state."

She singled out Bolivia, Ecuador and Haiti as countries that need help in overcoming chronic instability.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, delivering a radio address to his countrymen, said the U.S. proposal is a ploy to justify U.S. intervention in the hemisphere.

"The times in which the OAS was an instrument of the government in Washington are gone," Chavez said. "Are they going to try, through the OAS, to monitor the Venezuelan government? . . . Those who think they can put the peoples of Latin America in a corral are mistaken."

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Ali Rodriguez told a news conference Monday after Bush's speech that, although the U.S. pro-democracy proposal was not explicit, "it seems aimed at one country" -- his own.

Although Rice did not mention Venezuela by name in her remarks, the Bush administration has siad it thinks Chavez has been engaged in a systematic power grab, putting Venezuelan democracy at risk.

Rice said she hoped to reach agreement with her OAS colleagues on mechanisms to protect endangered democracies.

Brazil and several other countries were working on a counterproposal to an American draft document. "We'd like to strengthen democracy in the region, but we'd also like to avoid intruding mechanisms," Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim said in a statement.

OAS foreign ministers meet annually, and the gathering is the first on U.S. soil since 1974.

At that time, military governments dominated Latin America. During the 1980s, all military regimes returned power to elected governments, but Rice acknowledged that democracy has not benefited many of the region's citizens.

FORT LAUDERDALE -- President Bush touted his proposals for a hemisphere-wide free trade agreement, saying they will open the way to peace and prosperity for all nations of the Americas and reduce the attraction of "false ideologies."

Speaking to an Organization of American States foreign ministers meeting, Bush also appealed to the U.S. Congress to approve the Central America-Dominican Republic free trade accord, calling it a "historic opportunity to bring prosperity to people who have never known it."

Folks, this is the Central American Free Trade Agreement to be followed by the mother of all agreements, the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas...which is to be ratified by December 31, 2005....this Christmas!!

I am totally opposed to this. To make it work, a new government will be created to govern the hemisphere eliminating ours. To make it work, this is open borders which will be the final nail in our coffin labelled Third World Toilet Bowl.

The 34-nation OAS is debating how far the hemispheric community should go to rescue countries where political instability threatens democratic survival.

How far the hemispheric community should go? Why are they debating that? They intend to "GO ALL THE WAY TO THE FORMER UNITED STATES" and let us support them.

I TOTALLY OPPOSE THIS AND I TOTALLY OPPOSE OUR PRESIDENT implying that he has the authority to even offer up something like CAFTA and FTAA with no mandate from the American People.

Bush is selling you out people....for the full and final coupe de grace of the Globalist State of the World.

Get ready for dirt floors, grass huts and armed guards outside. That is the only way you manage the poverty these stupid subversive trade agreements will create in the United States as we are already seeing in communities from "sea to shining sea".

He's Crazy! Bush is a looney-tune! He's unfit for the office! Deport him to Kennebuckport Maine, where his mama can take care of him! I'm going crazy. Hey moderators, we need to get some 'screaming and shouting avatars'! It will make everyone that uses them, come back down from their angry high.

Butterbean? Kennebunkport?

I had a nice place picked out for Bush in the Mexican State of Chihuahua complete with its own grove of banana trees so he can feed himself!!

Originally Posted by Judy

Butterbean? Kennebunkport?

I had a nice place picked out for Bush in the Mexican State of Chihuahua complete with its own grove of banana trees so he can feed himself!!

Mexico would be nice. Maybe Laura, Jeb, and Mom & Dad can go along with him.