Bush's Pledge to the United Nations
Bush's Pledge to the United Nations
Date: Friday, September 16, 2005 6:14 PM
JOB DESTRUCTION NEWSLETTER
by Rob Sanchez
September 16, 2005 No. 1331
While rescue workers in New Orleans were pulling the decaying remains of the victims of hurricane Katrina out of the putrid floodwaters, President Bush was in New York to pledge to the United Nations that our fervor for "free trade" agreements will continue. Bush promised to sign trade agreements with every nation that lifts their tariffs on US goods, and he assured the rest of the world that there will be many more NAFTAs and CAFTAS to come. It's worth noting that Bush mainly talked about agricultural tariffs because the United States doesn't export much else, and most nations refuse to lift their tariffs on the few remaining U.S. goods that are still manufactured here.
Bush's pledge can be translated as such: "Allow the U.S. to export corn and barley to you, and we will allow you to have unlimited access to our debt-laden consumer-crazed economy. Buy our wheat and we promise that you can undercut U.S. industries, put Americans out of work, and run up our trade deficit".
And the greatest obstacles to achieving these goals are
the tariffs and subsidies and barriers that isolate people
of developing nations from the great opportunities of the
21st century. Today, I reiterate the challenge I have made
before: We must work together in the Doha negotiations to
eliminate agricultural subsidies that distort trade and
stunt development, and to eliminate tariffs and other
barriers to open markets for farmers around the world.
Today I broaden the challenge by making this pledge:
The United States is ready to eliminate all tariffs,
subsidies and other barriers to free flow of goods
and services as other nations do the same.
Bush has never concealed the fact he wants to push international trade agreements because they enable corporations to use cheap labor to fatten their wallets, but some of his comments to the U.N. seem to be very light on the capitalism and heavy on the communism. Bush made several liberal sounding comments about using trade agreements as a form of social engineering. Listen to his 15 year plan to wipe out the world's poverty by making "free trade" agreements:
The elimination of trade barriers could lift hundreds of
millions of people out of poverty over the next 15 years.
Some say that Bush lacks vision, but the following statement proves otherwise. The "walls that separate the developed and developing worlds" he is talking about are our borders, and he wants to tear down those walls! (Reagan's reasons for tearing down walls seemed so much more compelling.) Once borders are broken down all the global citizens can participate in the "world market" of labor arbitrage and strife. You gotta admit, that's some vision our president has!
Doha is an important step toward a larger goal: We must tear
down the walls that separate the developed and developing worlds.
We need to give the citizens of the poorest nations the same
ability to access the world economy that the people of wealthy
nations have, so they can offer their goods and talents on the
world market alongside everyone else. We need to ensure that
they have the same opportunities to pursue their dreams, provide
for their families, and live lives of dignity and self-reliance.
According to Bush, fighting poverty and tearing down our borders isn't the only reason to make global trade agreements. It's also a way to fight terrorism. Nevermind the fact that NAFTA was signed about 7 years before 9/11.
By expanding trade, we spread hope and opportunity to the
corners of the world, and we strike a blow against the
terrorists who feed on anger and resentment.
To find out more about Doha go to the newsletter archive look up the following past issues. Bush's support of the Doha negotiations is very scary stuff as you will find out. Duh, Bush, don't you know that Doha is not good for America?
Jul 04, 2005 WTO Negotiations for Unlimited H-1B Visas
Sep 09, 2004 Indo-US FTA negotiations progressing
Apr 08, 2003 India Demands Results on Doha WTO Report
Sep 10, 2003 WTO in Cancun is the Next Battleground
Feb 24, 2003 Doha Round - March Report
Jul 05, 2002 TPA and H-1B
Materials Used for this Newsletter
http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2005&m=September&x=20050914111525mbzemog0.841427&t=livefeeds/wf-latest.html
Transcript of Bush's speech to UN
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story.asp?guid=%7BECAD2A47-6DAF-4EC5-A1A9-EC4E281C4622%7D&siteid=google
U.S. seeks to revive global trade talks
Bush pledges U.S. willingness to open markets
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/14/AR2005091401761.html
Bush challenges world to drop trade barriers
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http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2005&m=September&x=20050914111525mbzemog0.841427&t=livefeeds/wf-latest.html
14 September 2005
"There Can Be No Safety" in Ignoring Terrorism, Bush Tells U.N.
Urges stronger action against activities that incite terrorism
President Bush, in a September 14 address to more than 160 world leaders attending the United Nations General Assembly anniversary summit in New York, urged the world community to "put the terrorists on notice" and crack down on activities that could incite terrorist attacks.
"Confronting our enemies is essential, and so civilized nations will continue to take the fight to the terrorists," the president said.
The lesson of terrorism is clear, he said: "There can be no safety in looking away, or seeking the quiet life by ignoring the hardship and oppression of others. Either hope will spread, or violence will spread -- and we must take the side of hope."
For additional information, see The United Nations at 60.
Following is the White House transcript of the president's remarks:
(begin transcript)
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
(New York, New York)
September 14, 2005
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
AT UNITED NATIONS HIGH-LEVEL PLENARY MEETING
United Nations Headquarters
New York, New York
9:48 A.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Mr. Secretary General, Mr. President, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen: Thank you for the privilege of being here for the 60th anniversary of the United Nations. Thank you for your dedication to the vital work and great ideals of this institution.
We meet at a time of great challenge for America and the world. At this moment, men and women along my country's Gulf Coast are recovering from one of the worst natural disasters in American history. Many have lost homes, and loved ones, and all their earthly possessions. In Alabama and Mississippi and Louisiana, whole neighborhoods have been lifted from their foundations and sent crashing into the streets. A great American city is working to turn the flood waters and reclaim its future.
We have witnessed the awesome power of nature -- and the greater power of human compassion. Americans have responded to their neighbors in need, and so have many of the nations represented in this chamber. All together, more than 115 countries and nearly a dozen international organizations have stepped forward with offers of assistance. To every nation, every province, and every community across the world that is standing with the American people in this hour of need, I offer the thanks of my nation.
Your response, like the response to last year's tsunami, has shown once again that the world is more compassionate and hopeful when we act together. This truth was the inspiration for the United Nations. The U.N.'s founding members laid out great and honorable goals in the charter they drafted six decades ago. That document commits this organization to work to "save succeeding generations from the scourge of war," "reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights," and "promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom." We remain committed to those noble ideals. As we respond to great humanitarian needs, we must actively respond to the other great challenges of our time. We must continue to work to ease suffering, and to spread freedom, and to lay the foundations of lasting peace for our children and grandchildren.
In this young century, the far corners of the world are linked more closely than ever before -- and no nation can remain isolated and indifferent to the struggles of others. When a country, or a region is filled with despair, and resentment and vulnerable to violent and aggressive ideologies, the threat passes easily across oceans and borders, and could threaten the security of any peaceful country.
Terrorism fed by anger and despair has come to Tunisia, to Indonesia, to Kenya, to Tanzania, to Morocco, to Israel, to Saudi Arabia, to the United States, to Turkey, to Spain, to Russia, to Egypt, to Iraq, and the United Kingdom. And those who have not seen attacks on their own soil have still shared in the sorrow -- from Australians killed in Bali, to Italians killed in Egypt, to the citizens of dozens of nations who were killed on September the 11th, 2001, here in the city where we meet. The lesson is clear: There can be no safety in looking away, or seeking the quiet life by ignoring the hardship and oppression of others. Either hope will spread, or violence will spread -- and we must take the side of hope.
Sometimes our security will require confronting threats directly, and so a great coalition of nations has come together to fight the terrorists across the world. We've worked together to help break up terrorist networks that cross borders, and root out radical cells within our own borders. We've eliminated terrorist sanctuaries. We're using our diplomatic and financial tools to cut off their financing and drain them of support. And as we fight, the terrorists must know that the world stands united against them. We must complete the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism that will put every nation on record: The targeting and deliberate killing by terrorists of civilians and non-combatants cannot be justified or legitimized by any cause or grievance.
And the world's free nations are determined to stop the terrorists and their allies from acquiring the terrible weapons that would allow them to kill on a scale equal to their hatred. For that reason, more than 60 countries are supporting the Proliferation Security Initiative to intercept shipments of weapons of mass destruction on land, on sea, and in air. The terrorists must know that wherever they go, they cannot escape justice.
Later today, the Security Council has an opportunity to put the terrorists on notice when it votes on a resolution that condemns the incitement of terrorist acts -- the resolution that calls upon all states to take appropriate steps to end such incitement. We also need to sign and implement the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism, so that all those who seek radioactive materials or nuclear devices are prosecuted and extradited, wherever they are. We must send a clear message to the rulers of outlaw regimes that sponsor terror and pursue weapons of mass murder: You will not be allowed to threaten the peace and stability of the world.
Confronting our enemies is essential, and so civilized nations will continue to take the fight to the terrorists. Yet we know that this war will not be won by force of arms alone. We must defeat the terrorists on the battlefield, and we must also defeat them in the battle of ideas. We must change the conditions that allow terrorists to flourish and recruit, by spreading the hope of freedom to millions who've never known it. We must help raise up the failing states and stagnant societies that provide fertile ground for the terrorists. We must defend and extend a vision of human dignity, and opportunity, and prosperity -- a vision far stronger than the dark appeal of resentment and murder.
To spread a vision of hope, the United States is determined to help nations that are struggling with poverty. We are committed to the Millennium Development goals. This is an ambitious agenda that includes cutting poverty and hunger in half, ensuring that every boy and girl in the world has access to primary education, and halting the spread of AIDS -- all by 2015.
We have a moral obligation to help others -- and a moral duty to make sure our actions are effective. At Monterrey in 2002, we agreed to a new vision for the way we fight poverty, and curb corruption, and provide aid in this new millennium. Developing countries agreed to take responsibility for their own economic progress through good governance and sound policies and the rule of law. Developed countries agreed to support those efforts, including increased aid to nations that undertake necessary reforms. My own country has sought to implement the Monterrey Consensus by establishing the new Millennium Challenge Account. This account is increasing U.S. aid for countries that govern justly, invest in their people, and promote economic freedom.
More needs to be done. I call on all the world's nations to implement the Monterrey Consensus. Implementing the Monterrey Consensus means continuing on the long, hard road to reform. Implementing the Monterrey Consensus means creating a genuine partnership between developed and developing countries to replace the donor-client relationship of the past. And implementing the Monterrey Consensus means welcoming all developing countries as full participants to the global economy, with all the requisite benefits and responsibilities.
Tying aid to reform is essential to eliminating poverty, but our work doesn't end there. For many countries, AIDS, malaria, and other diseases are both humanitarian tragedies and significant obstacles to development. We must give poor countries access to the emergency lifesaving drugs they need to fight these infectious epidemics. Through our bilateral programs and the Global Fund, the United States will continue to lead the world in providing the resources to defeat the plague of HIV-AIDS.
Today America is working with local authorities and organizations in the largest initiative in history to combat a specific disease. Across Africa, we're helping local health officials expand AIDS testing facilities, train and support doctors and nurses and counselors, and upgrade clinics and hospitals. Working with our African partners, we have now delivered lifesaving treatment to more than 230,000 people in sub-Sahara Africa. We are ahead of schedule to meet an important objective: providing HIV-AIDS treatment for nearly two million adults and children in Africa. At the G-8 Summit at Gleneagles, Scotland, we set a clear goal: an AIDS-free generation in Africa. And I challenge every member of the United Nations to take concrete steps to achieve that goal.
We're also working to fight malaria. This preventable disease kills more than a million people around the world every year -- and leaves poverty and grief in every land it touches. The United States has set a goal of cutting the malaria death rate in half in at least 15 highly endemic African countries. To achieve that goal, we've pledged to increase our funding for malaria treatment and prevention by more than $1.2 billion over the next five years. We invite other nations to join us in this effort by committing specific aid to the dozens of other African nations in need of it. Together we can fight malaria and save hundreds of thousands of lives, and bring new hope to countries that have been devastated by this terrible disease.
Even with increased aid to fight disease and reform economies, many nations are held back by another heavy challenge: the burden of debt. So America and many nations have also acted to lift this burden that limits the growth of developing economies, and holds millions of people in poverty. Today poor countries with the heaviest debt burdens are receiving more than $30 billion in debt relief. And to prevent the build-up of future debt, my country and other nations have agreed that international financial institutions should increasingly provide new aid in the form of grants, rather than loans. The G-8 agreed at Gleneagles to go further. To break the lend-and-forgive cycle permanently, we agreed to cancel 100 percent of the debt for the world's most heavily indebted nations. I call upon the World Bank and the IMF to finalize this historic agreement as soon as possible.
We will fight to lift the burden of poverty from places of suffering -- not just for the moment, but permanently. And the surest path to greater wealth is greater trade. In a letter he wrote to me in August, the Secretary General commended the G-8's work, but told me that aid and debt relief are not enough. The Secretary General said that we also need to reduce trade barriers and subsidies that are holding developing countries back. I agree with the Secretary General: The Doha Round is "the most promising way" to achieve this goal.
A successful Doha Round will reduce and eliminate tariffs and other barriers on farm and industrial goods. It will end unfair agricultural subsidies. It will open up global markets for services. Under Doha, every nation will gain, and the developing world stands to gain the most. Historically, developing nations that open themselves up to trade grow at several times the rate of other countries. The elimination of trade barriers could lift hundreds of millions of people out of poverty over the next 15 years. The stakes are high. The lives and futures of millions of the world's poorest citizens hang in the balance -- and so we must bring the Doha trade talks to a successful conclusion.
Doha is an important step toward a larger goal: We must tear down the walls that separate the developed and developing worlds. We need to give the citizens of the poorest nations the same ability to access the world economy that the people of wealthy nations have, so they can offer their goods and talents on the world market alongside everyone else. We need to ensure that they have the same opportunities to pursue their dreams, provide for their families, and live lives of dignity and self-reliance.
And the greatest obstacles to achieving these goals are the tariffs and subsidies and barriers that isolate people of developing nations from the great opportunities of the 21st century. Today, I reiterate the challenge I have made before: We must work together in the Doha negotiations to eliminate agricultural subsidies that distort trade and stunt development, and to eliminate tariffs and other barriers to open markets for farmers around the world. Today I broaden the challenge by making this pledge: The United States is ready to eliminate all tariffs, subsidies and other barriers to free flow of goods and services as other nations do the same. This is key to overcoming poverty in the world's poorest nations. It's essential we promote prosperity and opportunity for all nations.
By expanding trade, we spread hope and opportunity to the corners of the world, and we strike a blow against the terrorists who feed on anger and resentment. Our agenda for freer trade is part of our agenda for a freer world, where people can live and worship and raise their children as they choose. In the long run, the best way to protect the religious freedom, and the rights of women and minorities, is through institutions of self-rule, which allow people to assert and defend their own rights. All who stand for human rights must also stand for human freedom.
This is a moment of great opportunity in the cause of freedom. Across the world, hearts and minds are opening to the message of human liberty as never before. In the last two years alone, tens of millions have voted in free elections in Afghanistan and Iraq, in Lebanon and the Palestinian territories, in Kyrgyzstan, in Ukraine, and Georgia. And as they claim their freedom, they are inspiring millions more across the broader Middle East. We must encourage their aspirations. We must nurture freedom's progress. And the United Nations has a vital role to play.
Through the new U.N. Democracy Fund, the democratic members of the U.N. will work to help others who want to join the democratic world. It is fitting that the world's largest democracy, India, has taken a leadership role in this effort, pledging $10 million to get the fund started. Every free nation has an interest in the success of this fund -- and every free nation has a responsibility in advancing the cause of liberty.
The work of democracy is larger than holding a fair election; it requires building the institutions that sustain freedom. Democracy takes different forms in different cultures, yet all free societies have certain things in common. Democratic nations uphold the rule of law, impose limits on the power of the state, treat women and minorities as full citizens. Democratic nations protect private property, free speech and religious expression. Democratic nations grow in strength because they reward and respect the creative gifts of their people. And democratic nations contribute to peace and stability because they seek national greatness in the achievements of their citizens, not the conquest of their neighbors.
For these reasons, the whole world has a vital interest in the success of a free Iraq -- and no civilized nation has an interest in seeing a new terror state emerge in that country. So the free world is working together to help the Iraqi people to establish a new nation that can govern itself, sustain itself, and defend itself. It's an exciting opportunity for all of us in this chamber. And the United Nations has played a vital role in the success of the January elections, where eight and a half million Iraqis defied the terrorists and cast their ballots. And since then, the United Nations has supported Iraq's elected leaders as they drafted a new constitution.
The United Nations and its member states must continue to stand by the Iraqi people as they complete the journey to a fully constitutional government. And when Iraqis complete their journey, their success will inspire others to claim their freedom, the Middle East will grow in peace and hope and liberty, and all of us will live in a safer world.
The advance of freedom and security is the calling of our time. It is the mission of the United Nations. The United Nations was created to spread the hope of liberty, and to fight poverty and disease, and to help secure human rights and human dignity for all the world's people. To help make these promises real, the United Nations must be strong and efficient, free of corruption, and accountable to the people it serves. The United Nations must stand for integrity, and live by the high standards it sets for others. And meaningful institutional reforms must include measures to improve internal oversight, identify cost savings, and ensure that precious resources are used for their intended purpose.
The United Nations has taken the first steps toward reform. The process will continue in the General Assembly this fall, and the United States will join with others to lead the effort. And the process of reform begins with members taking our responsibilities seriously. When this great institution's member states choose notorious abusers of human rights to sit on the U.N. Human Rights Commission, they discredit a noble effort, and undermine the credibility of the whole organization. If member countries want the United Nations to be respected -- respected and effective, they should begin by making sure it is worthy of respect.
At the start of a new century, the world needs the United Nations to live up to its ideals and fulfill its mission. The founding members of this organization knew that the security of the world would increasingly depend on advancing the rights of mankind, and this would require the work of many hands. After committing America to the idea of the U.N. in 1945, President Franklin Roosevelt declared: "The structure of world peace cannot be the work of one man, or one party, or one nation." Peace is the responsibility of every nation and every generation.
In each era of history, the human spirit has been challenged by the forces of darkness and chaos. Some challenges are the acts of nature; others are the works of men. This organization was convened to meet these challenges by harnessing the best instincts of humankind, the strength of the world united in common purpose. With courage and conscience, we will meet our responsibilities to protect the lives and rights of others. And when we do, we will help fulfill the promise of the United Nations, and ensure that every human being enjoys the peace and the freedom and the dignity our Creator intended for all.
Thank you. (Applause.)
END
10:13 A.M. EDT
(end transcript)
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story.asp?guid=%7BECAD2A47-6DAF-4EC5-A1A9-EC4E281C4622%7D&siteid=google
U.S. seeks to revive global trade talks
Bush pledges U.S. willingness to open markets
By Greg Robb, MarketWatch
Last Update: 4:41 PM ET Sept. 14, 2005
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - The Bush administration sought Wednesday to breathe life into talks aimed at reaching a new global trade agreement.
The talks, known as the Doha round, are aimed at eliminating trade barriers in politically-sensitive areas such as farm goods, manufactured products, and services.
President Bush gave strong support for completing the Doha talks in an address to the U.N. General Assembly.
"The elimination of trade barriers could lift hundreds of millions of people out of poverty over the next 15 years," Bush said.
The U.S. remains willing to eliminate farm subsidies and eliminate tariffs and other barriers for agricultural products, Bush said.
In addition, the U.S. was ready to take a step further and eliminate all tariffs, subsidies and other barriers to the flow of manufactured goods and services "as other nations do the same," he said.
Meanwhile in Washington, U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman and E.U. trade minister Peter Mandleson have met for 18 hours over the last two days to find ways to restart the engine of the trade talks.
The talks have languished in recent months. Developing countries blame unwillingness by Europe, the United States and other developed countries to give ground on agricultural subsidies.
The European Union and the United States, meanwhile, have expressed frustration with what they see as proposals for small tariff cuts by developing nations.
Although no breakthroughs were announced, the two trade ministers told reporters after their talks that they have agreed to consult closely over the next three months leading up to a crucial high-level meeting in Hong Kong in December.
For a portion of their discussions, the two trade mininsters were joined by Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns and E.U. Farm Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel.
Portman said that the U.S. and E.U. made progress in establishing a framework for discussing the elimination of farm-trade barriers.
Portman said the U.S. wanted the trade deal completed by the end of 2006. This would give the administration time to seek passage of any agreement before the expiration of special 'fast-track' legislation that would protect it from congressional amendments.
Mandelson said the talks were the best the two sides have had since Portman was appointed as U.S. trade representative earlier this summer.
"I'm encouraged by the discussions that we had. We have a lot of homework to do," Mandelson said.
"Nothing is going to be simple or straight-forward in reaching an agreement on any of these matters," he said.
Greg Robb is a senior reporter for MarketWatch in Washington.
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/14/AR2005091401761.html
Bush challenges world to drop trade barriers
By Caren Bohan
Reuters
Wednesday, September 14, 2005; 4:15 PM
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush told a U.N summit on Wednesday he was willing to drop all trade barriers if other countries did the same, issuing a challenge that could invigorate critical talks on world trade.
Trade experts saw little chance of the pledge becoming a reality but some said the attention Bush gave to trade in his speech could spur interest in the World Trade Organization talks on trade and development, known as the Doha Round.
"The United States is ready to eliminate all tariffs, subsidies and other barriers to free flow of goods and services as other nations do the same," Bush told other leaders.
"The elimination of trade barriers could lift hundreds of millions of people out of poverty over the next 15 years."
Bush said the stakes were high for a successful conclusion to the Doha talks, which aim to lower trade barriers for everything from farm goods to services and foster economic growth in the poorest countries. He devoted a full three paragraphs to Doha in a 25-minute speech.
With a deal needed by the end of next year, the Doha Round is entering a crucial stage. Negotiators need to make substantial progress at a WTO ministerial meeting in Hong Kong this December to keep the round alive.
The talks have suffered from a lack of high-level interest, which makes Bush's comments significant even though they mean little on a practical level, said Greg Mastel, trade adviser at the law firm Miller and Chevalier in Washington, DC.
"It's an offer that will never be taken up," Mastel said. "Other countries are not likely to drop their trade barriers any time soon."
He noted such a move would not be politically feasible in the United States, where protectionist policies are popular for industries such as steel but even more so agricultural goods.
Disagreements over how much to cut farm subsidies and tariffs are the biggest obstacles to a new world trade deal. However, the negotiations are also bogged down on issues linked to trade in services and industrial goods.
"I strongly endorse the spirit of (Bush's) remarks and I think that it's important that somebody like the president should give this amount of attention to the round," European Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson told reporters after meetings in Washington on farm trade.
The United States and the European Union both generously subsidize their farmers, but are striving to reach agreement in coming months on how far to cut their subsidies and tariffs.
How much other countries, such as Brazil and India, are willing to scale back their own protection for farmers will also be an important element of final WTO deal.
"It's rhetorical but it's important as a political signal that the president is willing to push the envelope on trade further than the conventional wisdom of the Congress," said Jeffrey Schott, senior fellow at the Institute for International Economics, a Washington think-tank.
As an example of the difficulty of the politics of trade liberalization in Congress, Schott pointed to the tough fight it took Bush to secure passage of the Central America Free Trade Agreement.
Mastel said talk had been circulating that the Bush administration might be ready to offer a proposal to phase out all industrial tariffs eventually, also an ambitious goal but perhaps more feasible than the one Bush spoke of at the U.N.
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