We should have every right to protect ourselves as a nation. Isn't that what we hear everyday? Whether it's illegal wiretaps, torture, or the war in Iraq, we are told repeatedly to "put security ahead of all of our other concerns". So, why then would Republicans running this country throw all of that "Security" out the window defending corporations?
One open window to terrorism is the OMAN Free Trade Agreement (OFTA), which allows foreign companies to own and control the United States critical infrastructure. Didn't we just "collectively freak out" when the Republicans in Congress tried to sell our ports to Dubai? American citizens understood that perhaps, with Dubai's ties to terrorism, it was a bad idea to sell them our ports.
OFTA not only gives foreign companies the right to own our infrastructure, it would fine us if we denied a company that right, even if that foreign company had direct ties to terrorism, even if it was run by Bin Ladin himself.
If such rules had been applicable to Dubai, the United States would have had to pay the Emir of Dubai tens of millions of U.S. taxpayers dollars for taking actions that undermined that companys right to run our ports.
So, we want to protect our borders and ports from terrorism but terrorist harboring countries can not only own them but will fine us if we deny them that ability. Sounds dangerous to me. So, why would our congress put us in this situation? Maybe, once again, they are putting corporate interests over the best interests of our nation.
It seems this way, especially when you realize that multinational corporations benefit the most from this act and others like it. Any corporation can go into OMAN and set up shop, and once they do, they can own American interests (right next door to you and me) without having to abide by any labor or enviromental standards. This looks like a giant corporate loophole to me and others agree:
Leading Democrats revealed that loopholes in the US-Oman Free Trade Agreement would allow foreign corporations, including Dubai Ports World, to establish front companies in Oman and through them take control of American ports.
"This Republican Congress is once again ignoring the overwhelming majority of Americans who are concerned about our border and port security." Rep. Slaughter said. "Instead, Republicans are listening only to well-connected business lobbyists who hope to turn this bill into profits for their shareholders."
All that rhetoric and puffing up over national security on TV but behind closed doors Republicans are really just about corporate interests and greed. And don't let them tell you this is about the economy. It's not:
OFTA would expand the failed model of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). This model has been devastating to the U.S. industrial base, accelerating job loss and lowering living standards in the United States while exacerbating poverty and social disparities in the developing nations with which we trade
NAFTA has already led to the
loss of over 1 million jobs, what makes you think the OFTA agreement is any better?
In Ohio, Mike Dewine once again ignores our security and voted for the Oman free trade agreement. How did your Congressperson vote?
Cross Posted at AsOhioGoes.com - a community politics blog for ohioans