JG-TC.com > Opinion > LETTER: U.S. should withdraw from NAFTA obligations

TODAY'S HEADLINES

SPECIAL SECTION

ONLINE POLL

ONLINE EXTRAS

Shop Smart, Shop Local

SITE TOOLS

OTHER LINKS

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Lee Enterprises

Sunday, February 22, 2009 6:59 PM CST
LETTER: U.S. should withdraw from NAFTA obligations

By CHARLES FOWLER, Toledo

In October, a coalition of U.S., Mexican, and Canadian labor unions filed a complaint in a NAFTA-created tribunal charging that the United States is in violation of its NAFTA obligations.

The charge is based on the fact that North Carolina maintains right-to-work laws against collective bargaining, which are in violation of the standards issued by the United Nation’s International Labor Organization.

At first it might be tempting to conclude that using a group of Mexican and Canadian labor unions to bring charges in a NAFTA tribunal against the labor laws maintained by the State of North Carolina is nothing more than a publicity stunt by local U.S. unions. However, there is more to this story.

“The Supreme Court has found that executive agreements - those entered into by the Executive branch that are not submitted to the Senate for its advice and consent - may, at least in certain areas, preempt inconsistent state laws.”

Also, “The United States Supreme Court has held that the U.S. government cannot hide behind a claim of federalism to avoid its international obligations under the decision of the International Court of Justice in Avena, by having State courts give effect to the decision in accordance with general principles of comity.”

Friends, we are being governed by International Courts and laws and NAFTA tribunals and NAFTA rules and regulations. It’s about time to put a stop to this by withdrawing from NAFTA!!!

Add your comments

*Member ID:
*Password:
Remember login? (requires cookies)
	Forgot Your Password?

Not already registered?
Then click Here.

Comment policy:

JG-TC.com encourages readers to engage in civil conversation with their neighbors. Comments that are submitted are not posted to the site immediately. They go into a queue to be moderated and may take several hours to be reviewed. Comments posted on Saturday may not be reviewed until Sunday afternoon.

In order to keep the page a set width, long lines (mostly long links) will be chopped. Try putting spaces in your links or consider using tinyurl.com to make a smaller link that you can include.

We will never edit or alter your comments, but we do reserve the right to remove comments that violate our code of conduct.

No comment may contain:

* Potentially libelous statements; such as accusing somebody of a crime, defamation of character, or statements that can harm somebody's reputation.
* Obscene, explicit, or racist language.
* Personal attacks, insults, threats, harassment or inciting violence.
* Commercial product promotions.

If you have any questions, please contact our moderator.

cd wrote on Feb 22, 2009 8:04 PM:

" I can see ending NAFTA with Mexico. Too many jobs went south because it cost to much to remain in the USA. Part of purpose of this Free Trade Agreement was to supply jobs for Mexicans IN Mexico. The Mexicans, legal or illegal, still crossed the border for USA jobs that paid more. So much for that plan. To my knowledge the US does not have that problem with Canada. "

wazafarmer wrote on Feb 23, 2009 6:19 AM:

" Same with the WTO! We're signing away our nation's sovereignty, freely ceding Constitutional lawmaking/law enforcement to nameless, faceless, sequestered bodies beyond this nation's borders and beyond this nation's control through the polling place and it has to stop!

The repeated use of "Fast Track" Congressional voting tactics, which completely defeat this nation's House of Representatives' ability/duty to openly debate, amend and table proposals that come before it, should rightly be considered unconstitutional and stopped. The Executative branch should not be allowed to ramrod and browbeat legislation into law with "Fast Track" up OR down voting. "

father bob wrote on Feb 23, 2009 12:56 PM:

" the problem isn't NAFTA....the problem is the american public.

you squeal with delight at new products and cheap prices you all salivate over at wal-mart. YOU have sold our american manufacturing sector to foreign countries because YOU wanted to save a dime.

you're quick to pass blame to government, but the american consumer has put more americans out of work through greed, than any foreign concern or government. "

Becky wrote on Feb 23, 2009 2:52 PM:

" fb: While you are somewhat right, many of us Americans looked for the "Made in the USA" label while shopping. Year after year it got harder and harder to even find one. Even in the more expensive shops (other than Walmart). And, due to NAFTA (which I was against since day one of it's signing) you cannot find it on hardly anything. American's are NOT the culprits here and I'm tired of everyone saying we are the bad guys in this game of financial ruin. POLITICIANS AND BANKERS did this to us and I'm not going to take the blame anymore! "

BlueDogDemocrat wrote on Feb 24, 2009 9:23 AM:

" Help me out here FatHeadBobby;

Obama was against NAFTA during the campaign?

But he secretly told Canada that he was really for NAFTA?

When that story leaked out Obama denied it?

But he continued to state publicly that he was against NAFTA?

Now he's openly for NAFTA?

Help me out here Bobby. I can't keep track of Barry's ever-changing position (lies) on this topic:

How long has Obama been FOR NAFTA again? "

father bob wrote on Feb 24, 2009 9:36 AM:

" becky...americans have been looking for bargains for years. how do you think china and japan have flourished? you can point all the fingers you want, but it's the american consumer who has cut his own throat.

and it's too late now....those US made New Balance tennis shoes you buy aren't going to turn things around at this point.

and why cut off your nose to spite your face? we export more to canada and mexico than they'll ever hope export to us. doing away with nafta is just taking away more income from our struggling enocomy. "

61938 wrote on Feb 24, 2009 11:03 AM:

" wasn't it bill clinton the "king" of the democratic cesspool that signed nafta and cut the throats of all american workers? even the greedy union thugs that thought he was the greatest thing since carter. and then the sheeple reelected this fool so he could gut this entire country and put us in this mess we have today. by the way has anybody been watching the stock market? you're doing a heck of a job there bama. "

Harry Potter wrote on Feb 24, 2009 12:17 PM:

" NAFTA was a piece of Republican crafted legislation. Clinton only signed it to try to save his own sorry rear over the Lewinsky scandal. "

father bob wrote on Feb 24, 2009 1:02 PM:

" 61938 wrote on Feb 24, 2009 11:03 AM:
" by the way has anybody been watching the stock market? you're doing a heck of a job there bama. """"

i think he's doing a fine job too 61938.
it takes courage and character to try and saddle the horses bush let out of the barn. you remember bush? the moron that took a budget surplus and ran it into a 11 trillion dollar debt? "

Becky wrote on Feb 24, 2009 2:16 PM:

" 61938 wrote on Feb 24, 2009 11:03 AM:

" wasn't it bill clinton the "king" of the democratic cesspool that signed nafta and cut the throats of all american workers"

Yes he did but the democrats wanted some labor laws equal to that of the US included which Clinton didn't bother to add. Most of the dems didn't want Clinton to sign it. You see, as I keep saying, there's NO DIFFERENCE between the parties. They are just two sides of the same coin. Nothing in DC's going to change until the majority of Americans wake up to this fact. Then we will join forces and DEMAND that other parties are let in elections fairly and equally. "

BlueDogDemocrat wrote on Feb 24, 2009 3:29 PM:

" (HarryTard - "NAFTA was a piece of Republican crafted legislation. Clinton only signed it to try to save his own sorry rear over the Lewinsky scandal.")

...and Obama's against NAFTA...no wait!

He's for it.

No he's against it!

No wait:

For it.

Against it.

For it kinda?

Against it sorta?

?????????????

Helps us out here HarryTard.

Get that TinFoil Beanie propeller of yours spinning on max, and explain to us, just WHAT exactly Obama's CURRENT position IS on NAFTA.

But first, unplug your toaster.

You know how those kitchen appliances interfere with your TinFoil Beanie frequencies.

*tee hee hee* "

father bob wrote on Feb 25, 2009 5:22 PM:

" BlueDogDemocrat wrote on Feb 24, 2009 3:29 PM:
"You know how those kitchen appliances interfere with your TinFoil Beanie frequencies."""""

the voice of experience has spoken! "

BlueDogDemocrat wrote on Feb 25, 2009 6:19 PM:

" (FatHeadBobby - "the voice of experience has spoken!")

Yes you certainly have, haven't you FatHeadBobby.

LOL "

warrior wrote on Feb 25, 2009 7:09 PM:

" FB, the only time the stock markets do any good is when that idiot (Obama) you voted for stays at home and doesn't talk.
Maybe you should pay more attention.
and tell Obama next time you see him, thanks for that extra $13/week, I'm sure it's going to boost the economy. "

injustice85 wrote on Feb 25, 2009 7:46 PM:

" BlueDogDemocrat wrote on Feb 25, 2009 6:19 PM:

" (FatHeadBobby - "the voice of experience has spoken!")

Yes you certainly have, haven't you FatHeadBobby.

LOL "

...and now boys and girls it's time for finger painting yay! "