Post by unlawflcombatnt on Jun 11, 2007 15:51:27 GMT -6
Below is an excerpt from an ABC News article attempting to show the 3 Democratic frontrunners' position on the pending Korean Free Trade legislation. The article is titled Clinton and Obama Follow Edwards on Trade, and written by Teddy Davis.
"John Edwards is not the only major Democratic presidential candidate with serious reservations about a proposed free-trade agreement between the United States and South Korea.
ABC News has learned that the former North Carolina senator's top two rivals -- Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y.-- also have grave concerns about the most economically significant free-trade pact since the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Trade is a difficult issue for Democrats because it forces them to weigh the concerns of friends in organized labor, who worry about the impact on U.S. jobs, and commercial interests who view trade liberalization as a ticket to faster economic growth.
"Senator Obama does not support the South Korea free trade agreement
in its current form," Obama spokesperson Jen Psaki tells ABC News.....
"Senator Clinton has serious concerns about how the agreement would impact the United States and is particularly worried about how the auto industry would be affected," Clinton spokesperson Phil Singer tells ABC News....
Edwards, who is staking much of his 2008 presidential bid on support from organized labor, announced his opposition to the South Korea trade deal while speaking Saturday to a Democratic Party dinner in Michigan, a state which has been hard-hit by the loss of manufacturing jobs...."
Edwards opposition seemed much stronger, and much more tangible. Edwards stated his opposition directly, rather than through a spokesperson. Edwards elaborated on his opposition, stating:
"A trade agreement with South Korea needs to start with their willingness to open markets to American automobiles and other U.S. products and agree to trade fairly," Edwards said Saturday. "It must also include strong labor and environmental standards and lift up workers in both parties."...
Edwards' specific objections include his view...that workers in South Korea lack many basic rights, his concern that the agreement creates the possibility of providing free access to the U.S. market for manufacturing imports made with cheap labor in North Korean industrial zones, and his concern that the agreement "opens up American markets to Korean agricultural imports" while not allowing American beef into Korea."
The use of North Korean slave labor in the Gaesong Industrial Park in the demilitarized zone between North & South Korea should be an absolute non-starter for any candidate. These are workers from North Korea who are kept in a fenced off area and used by South Korean business (and potentially American if the trade agreement goes through) that are paid $50/month and work 48-hour workweeks. This comes out to 26-cents/hour. These workers have NO rights whatsoever. There are 750,000 of these essentially slave workers in the Gaesong Industrial Park. They serve as a cheap replacement for South Korean workers, and could also be used as a cheap replacement for American workers if this Korean trade deal goes through.
Opposing it only "in its current form" is not an acceptable position. The deal should be strongly opposed in ANY form by any candidate. The Gaesong labor conditions are nothing short of slavery. Every candidate should oppose this agreement in any form. It's not only exploitation of North Korean workers, it will force American workers to compete with these exploited workers for jobs.
Apparently only John Edwards sees American exploitation of North Korean slave labor as a problem. That's my interpretation, at least.
The full article from ABC News can be found at
Clinton and Obama Follow Edwards on Trade.
"John Edwards is not the only major Democratic presidential candidate with serious reservations about a proposed free-trade agreement between the United States and South Korea.
ABC News has learned that the former North Carolina senator's top two rivals -- Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y.-- also have grave concerns about the most economically significant free-trade pact since the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Trade is a difficult issue for Democrats because it forces them to weigh the concerns of friends in organized labor, who worry about the impact on U.S. jobs, and commercial interests who view trade liberalization as a ticket to faster economic growth.
"Senator Obama does not support the South Korea free trade agreement
in its current form," Obama spokesperson Jen Psaki tells ABC News.....
"Senator Clinton has serious concerns about how the agreement would impact the United States and is particularly worried about how the auto industry would be affected," Clinton spokesperson Phil Singer tells ABC News....
Edwards, who is staking much of his 2008 presidential bid on support from organized labor, announced his opposition to the South Korea trade deal while speaking Saturday to a Democratic Party dinner in Michigan, a state which has been hard-hit by the loss of manufacturing jobs...."
Edwards opposition seemed much stronger, and much more tangible. Edwards stated his opposition directly, rather than through a spokesperson. Edwards elaborated on his opposition, stating:
"A trade agreement with South Korea needs to start with their willingness to open markets to American automobiles and other U.S. products and agree to trade fairly," Edwards said Saturday. "It must also include strong labor and environmental standards and lift up workers in both parties."...
Edwards' specific objections include his view...that workers in South Korea lack many basic rights, his concern that the agreement creates the possibility of providing free access to the U.S. market for manufacturing imports made with cheap labor in North Korean industrial zones, and his concern that the agreement "opens up American markets to Korean agricultural imports" while not allowing American beef into Korea."
The use of North Korean slave labor in the Gaesong Industrial Park in the demilitarized zone between North & South Korea should be an absolute non-starter for any candidate. These are workers from North Korea who are kept in a fenced off area and used by South Korean business (and potentially American if the trade agreement goes through) that are paid $50/month and work 48-hour workweeks. This comes out to 26-cents/hour. These workers have NO rights whatsoever. There are 750,000 of these essentially slave workers in the Gaesong Industrial Park. They serve as a cheap replacement for South Korean workers, and could also be used as a cheap replacement for American workers if this Korean trade deal goes through.
Opposing it only "in its current form" is not an acceptable position. The deal should be strongly opposed in ANY form by any candidate. The Gaesong labor conditions are nothing short of slavery. Every candidate should oppose this agreement in any form. It's not only exploitation of North Korean workers, it will force American workers to compete with these exploited workers for jobs.
Apparently only John Edwards sees American exploitation of North Korean slave labor as a problem. That's my interpretation, at least.
The full article from ABC News can be found at
Clinton and Obama Follow Edwards on Trade.