[at-l] NAFTA and the Environment

[cballs@mindspring.com (cballs@mindspring.com)]

Did anyone see the Bill Moyers' program "Trading Democracy" last night on PBS?  He examined the use of Chapter 11 in the NAFTA Agreement by corporations to overturn, or exploit for profit, judgements, policies and laws adopted and implemented by democratically elected government in the US, Canada and Mexico.  This program focused on environmental laws in Canada, California and Mexico that have either been overturned or have cost the governments of these places millions of dollars in compensation to corporate stockholders for what the NAFTA agreement calls "expropriation of profits."  The program also focused on a case of unfair trading practices from a Canadian company trying to take over a family-owned funeral home business in Mississippi.  This case could end up costing the U.S. taxpayers $725 million dollars.  The decisions on these cases are made by the NAFTA Tribunal, which is not a democractically elected body.

What? Curtis has a TV?  And he watches it?  Yes, he does, about an hour each month.  Which is another thing about this list that amazed me back when we were having THAT discussion.  No one asked me if I had a TV or if I watched it.  Curious.  Did I learn anything watching the Moyers program?  Not really.  Except for the funeral home case, I already knew of all of these cases from printed sources.  I was just wondering, since many of you are regular television viewers, if this was news to you?

If you didn't see it, try to catch the rebroadcast.  As people concerned about both the environment and democratic institutions, it's well worth your time.


Curtis