The top 10 reasons to oppose the World Trade Organization, according to Z Magazine Online, an activist publication.
The WTO . . .
1. Prioritizes trade and commercial considerations over all other values.
2. Undermines democracy by shrinking the choices available to democratically-controlled governments.
3. Actively promotes global trade even at the expense of local economic development.
4. Forces Third World countries to open markets to rich multinationals and stop trying to protect new domestic industries.
5. Blocks countries from acting in response to potential risk.
6. Sets international health and environmental standards at a low level.
7. Rules on the “legality” of nations’ laws but tribunals carry out their work behind closed doors.
8. Limits governments’ ability to use purchasing dollars for human rights and other non-commercial purposes.
9. Does not allow countries to treat products differently based on how they were produced.
10. Does whatever it can to promote the interests of huge multinationals–there are no principles at work, only power and greed.
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For more, go to www.zmag.org
