Thread: Protesters, police clash over South Korea -U.S. trade deal

http://www.heraldnewsdaily.com/stories/ ... 03533.html

Protesters, police clash over trade deal
Staff and agencies
17 July, 2006


By MI-SOOK JEONG, Associated Press Writer Wed Jul 12, 11:45 AM ET

SEOUL, South Korea - People protesting the proposed South Korea -U.S. free trade agreement clashed with riot police in central Seoul on Wednesday as negotiators for the two governments held talks on the deal.

Police responded with steady bursts of water cannon after protesters charged with bamboo spears, tried to topple buses and threw sand at officers standing atop the vehicles. There appeared to be no injuries and police said there were no arrests.

The two sides kicked off talks last month in Washington and say an agreement will increase trade and add to growth. They hope to wrap up a deal by the end of the year to submit to their respective legislatures.

The U.S. wants more access for its farm produce, automobiles and pharmaceuticals and other goods and services. It won concessions for Hollywood movies before the talks began.

The South Korean government last week vowed stern measures against any violence, citing the country‘s "external credibility."

Jeff Vogt, a Washington-based official with the U.S. labor organization AFL-CIO visiting Seoul, said the proposed accord and others like it modeled on the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, were bad for laborers.

Jeff Vogt, a Washington-based official with the U.S. labor organization AFL-CIO visiting Seoul, said the proposed accord and others like it modeled on the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, were bad for laborers.

Got that right. No more trade agreements. This country needs to get back to manufacturing and supporting itself PDQ. Tell the rest of the world to take a flying leap. All this global crap is making me sick.

Originally Posted by dlm1968

Jeff Vogt, a Washington-based official with the U.S. labor organization AFL-CIO visiting Seoul, said the proposed accord and others like it modeled on the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, were bad for laborers.

Got that right. No more trade agreements. This country needs to get back to manufacturing and supporting itself PDQ. Tell the rest of the world to take a flying leap. All this global crap is making me sick.

I have no problem with bilateral, equitable trade agreements.

What I object to is Congress preemptively surrendering its Constitutional authority to negotiate trade deals, e.g. fast-track authority, the Doha Round, GATT-WTO, etc., the U.S. enabling its enemies, i.e. PNTR status for Red China, and hemispheric, EU-style attempts at stripping us of our sovereignity and merging us all into an amorphous hemispheric bloc, e.g. NAFTA and FTAA.

The South Koreans pursue an obnoxiously protectionist trade policy, all the while enjoying a United States military umbrella, which shields them from the pernicious machinations of that demented, four-eyed midget, Kim Jong-Il.

It's time for some reciprocity.