DOHA - the 1st World Strikes again

Reading the local paper online (El Mundo, http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2006/06/29/solidaridad/1151592777.html , in Spanish) I see that the US and some of the EU want to keep the "Peace Clause" in the new WTO agreements. In other words, if they are successful, for the next 10 years developing countries will not be able to take 1st world countries to court for unfair trade practices - concretely the approximately €13 billion in agricultural subsidies that contribute to the continuing poverty in the 3rd world.

It should be noted that most 3rd world countries would like to develop their agriculture - but find it impossible in the face of the combination of "free trade" rules that force them to accept imports without protectionist tariffs and subsidised goods that flood their markets at low prices.

Thus economic colonialism continues - and thus we open ourselves up to potential retaliation as the poor find fewer ways out of their vicious circle.

Now that Communism isn't a threat, how will we react? We used to (well, we still do) support bloody dictators in order to stave off the threat of communist revolutions.

It seems that we're inviting some new "-ism" to take the place of Communism. Greed wins out again...

FWIW - this is one of the results of neo-liberal economics as embraced by the GOP, the DLC and the New Democrats. Corporate whoredom will be the end of us yet.

More policy mistakes - and no comment?

As far as mistakes are concerned, this is a biggie.