UPS Boss Boosts Globalisation

"No development in the history of mankind has brought greater opportunity, greater prosperity, greater understanding and greater hope for peace in the world than democratic market trade," Weidemeyer claimed. This is absolute garbage and so far from the real world reality. How can you even print this without looking at the very facts? There is nothing democratic about trade deals done by unelected officials, done behind closed doors and enforced by trade tribunals that are also unelected and unaccountable to a country's citizen base.

At no time in human history has there been more people living in dire poverty than there is right now. At no time in human history has the gap between rich and poor been as vast as it is right now. America under George Bush has made it crystal clear that trade goes part and parcel with their Project for a New American Century. I suggest you take a moment and read it for yourself. It is clear they will use military force to ram home trade deals and once done will do the same to keep them in place. Most recent example - Venezuela and Hugo Chavez. They tried to overthrow him because he refuses to get on board with the American ideal of 'free trade'. Overthrowing democratically elected governments is the greatest development known to mankind?

"The truth is that integrating into the global economy actually narrows the prosperity gap between developed and developing countries. I have to tell you that by virtually every measure, globalisation enhances quality of life." Again this is just so far from the reality on the ground. Ask those living in rural India about their water situation, or those pesky Bolivians who tossed out their President because the price of cooking gas was far beyond their means. When trade deals supersede environmental regulations how does that 'enhance quality of life'?

"Evidence shows that imports do not cause a net job loss in a nation's economy," he said. That is absolute malarkey and a complete lie. Canada has seen a net destruction of over 100,000 jobs since the ratification of NAFTA. Using farming as an example:

All figures below in current $ - not adjusted for inflation

Canadian agri-food exports
1988 $10.9 billion
2002 $28.2 billion

Sounds good right? That's what they promised...

Canadian net farm income
1988 $3.9 billion
2002 $4.1 billion

WTH? How could that be? Exports almost tripled but net farm income barely moved. Adjust for inflation and net farm income dropped a staggering 24%!!

Farm Debt
1988 $22.5 billion
2002 $44.2 billion

Huh? Exports tripled yet debt doubled? How does that happen if this is supposed to do the opposite? Interest on that debt nearly equals yearly net income!

Wheat - farmgate price
1988 $4.93 a bushel
2002 $4.48 a bushel

Again WTH? Add inflation to all operating costs and we have a bad streak going here...

So what does all that mean? It means Canadians are being forced off their land and out of their chosen employment. Some of those families have roots back to the original settlers of the land. So where is it going?

Flour mills: Canadian ownership
1988 50% of capacity
2002 21% of capacity

Malt Plants: Canadian ownership
1988 95% of cap.
2002 12% of cap.

Grain Handling Farmer owned co-ops
1988 - 4
2002 - 0

Major farm machinery makers
1988 - 6
2002 - 3

Free Trade as promised - "will create jobs and opportunities like never before" Well, the reality and the facts suggest otherwise.

employment in Agri-processing
1988 - 277,300
2002 - 274,900

Packing plant pay (starting wages)
1988 - $9.38 hr
2002 - $9.65 hr

Adjust the above with inflation and you have... Canadian packers bringing in workers from Mexico because Canadians cannot afford to live off the wages offered.

Is it because the packers are taking less...

Number of hog farmers
1988 - 33,760
2002 - 11,565

Pork Chops: grocery store price
1988 - $6.88kg
2002 - $9.54kg

... So no they are not. Corporate and government policies have reduced the number of Canadian hog farmers by two-thirds yet packers and retailers have increased store prices by 39%. What happened to bigger and more efficient will equal cheaper prices?

This example is farm related only - I will leave the other segments of the Canadian economy for another day. (their story is no better and in some circumstances far worse!) Taken in part from Paul Hellyers new book - One Big Party.

Your article also fails to mention anything about the investment parts of any and all 'free trade' deals in the march of continued globalisation. These parts of the deals are sovereignty killers and give more rights to transnational corporations than the host nations own governments, courts and citizens.

Come now Ashley - do your homework before printing such one-sided articles. There is a growing number of Canadians who are educating themselves and are not going to fall for these false stories anymore.

I will also be placing calls to the head offices of the Vancouver Sun/Province and CanWest Global in which I will demand either a retraction of the article or at minimum a counter story by myself, Mel Hurtig, or Paul Hellyer.

Please email Ashley Ford and voice your concerns - aford@png.canwest.com

Note: UPS boss boosts globali... aford@png.canwest.com