NAFTA and
the other organizations will be discussed on this page.These are
the issues as I understand them and the links provided offer some of the
references I researched which contributed to my rationale.
Using NAFTA
as an example, the idea was to provide more jobs and improve economic
and social standards in three nations, America, Canada and Mexico.
NAFTA is not a free trade agreement but rather an investment agreement.
The contract allows for the benefit of companies to use lower wage
Canadian workers over American workers. Lower wage Mexican labor over
American workers.
However, they neglected to explain you had to go to prison to get a job.
I will be posting more information about prison labor in America and in
Mexico.
Why is it
when the world corporate leaders meet to discuss plans that will impact
all our lives, the meetings are held in private while media attention is
paid to the protestors who are facing police who are dressed in riot
gear and wielding chemicals, rubber bullets and clubs?
Why can't
the public know what the meeting agenda consists of? Afterall, the
decisions and outcomes will affect we the people and the world
economy.
Why does the
media give more air time to the lesser number of people who are engaged
in violence or illegal activity during the protest rather than the
greater number of people who are nuns and mothers with kids?
What I have seen thus far is; in the beginning corporations claimed the
greedy lazy unions were the problem. These companies said they had to
move over seas and hire low wage workers in order to make a profit. The
companies were found to have been operating sweat shops, not to mention
said companies were conveniently avoiding the IRS.
However, the
companies continued to claim they were not making a profit. I had to
ask, "Where is the money?"
I mean if
you can't make a profit when you are using kids and paying them pennies
a day while avoiding the expenses of paying medical benefits or
retirement funds and managing to escape the IRS, and still no
profit--you need to get out of the business! Where is the money?
If that is
not enough for you, ponder this; prison labor in private prisons. Don't
get me wrong, I have nothing against prisoners working. I think they
should work and contribute to the system that is housing them during
their punishment or rehabilitation. However, this side of the issue is
not what I am discussing.
My premise
stems from the economics in the use of prison labor by the companies who
pay them 20 cents a day or 4 cents an hour. Companies who use prison
labor have even greater economic gains than if they used slave labor.
Slaves have to be housed, clothed and fed.
Prison labor
provides workers who have their room and board paid for by the taxpayer.
The company does not pay healthcare coverage yet the prison workers have
greater access to medical care than over 42 million American citizens.
The company
then overcharges the consumer who purchases the services or goods that
are produced by the prisoners the consumers are supporting with their
tax dollars!
The
companies claim to be losing money, close down and subsequently lay off
or essentially fire the workers. Only to return a few months later and
prisoners are bussed in to do the work!
I have not
had the time to do so, but I wonder if anyone has been able to
investigate if the taxpayer is paying for the vehicles and fuel to
transport the workers (prisoners).
What about
the prisoners in tech jobs who have access to our credit information.
The prisoners who book airline tickets--why--what if they were Muslims?
I mean I have read where we there is a large Nation of Islam demographic
in our prisons. Shudder the thought!
Considering
the costs of the problem not only economically but also personally,
peoples' careers and lives have been devastated, yet these risks
continue because someone is profiting. Where is the money?
I will be
adding information to this page as time goes on. I will be asking more
questions.
I will be
addressing the issue of outsourcing and how we as a country have
been placed in a situation where we could literally be held hostage by a
third world nation!
