free trade agreementsSyndicate content

Columnists

Making nice with Washington is not a foreign policy

PMO Photo by Adam Scotti

Canada ended the Second World War as the third-ranking world power.

Though greatly eclipsed by the United States (and the Soviet Union), Canada was positioned ahead of the traditional great powers, France, Germany, the U.K. and China. Weakened by war, none were able to play a substantial role on the world scene.

At the crucial juncture when postwar direction was set and the Bretton Woods institutions, the UN and NATO established, policies championed by the U.S. dominated the world.

Enjoying a brief period of enhanced stature because of its strong (centrally planned) wartime economy, Canada developed a "quiet diplomacy" approach to the world hegemonic power.

The idea was to use close relations with the U.S. to exert influence on the world scene.

Tags:
NAFTA Canadian foreign policy diplomacy Canada-U.S. relations free trade agreements Donald Trump Trudeau government america first

Comments

We welcome your comments! rabble.ca embraces a pro-human rights, pro-feminist, anti-racist, queer-positive, anti-imperialist and pro-labour stance, and encourages discussions which develop progressive thought. Our full comment policy can be found here. Learn more about Disqus on rabble.ca and your privacy here. Please keep in mind:

Do

  • Tell the truth and avoid rumours.
  • Add context and background.
  • Report typos and logical fallacies.
  • Be respectful.
  • Respect copyright - link to articles.
  • Stay focused. Bring in-depth commentary to our discussion forum, babble.

Don't

  • Use oppressive/offensive language.
  • Libel or defame.
  • Bully or troll.
  • Post spam.
  • Engage trolls. Flag suspect activity instead.
Bank of Canada
Monetary reform and Paul Hellyer's vision for a new social contract
By
Christopher Majka
| September 30, 2016

Paul Hellyer is unquestionably a living political legend. In 93 years on the Canadian landscape Hellyer has ricocheted through virtually every party on the Canadian political spectrum (creating one enroute), serving in the cabinets of three Prime Ministers. Under Pierre Trudeau Hellyer was Senior Minister, the current equivalent of Deputy Prime Minister. At an age when most politicians have long departed their soapboxes, Hellyer continues to write books, forge political movements, and stump across the country consumed by a vision of making Canada a more just and equitable society.

Read more
WINGS
WINGS

Free trade! What is it good for?

July 4, 2016
| Kate Raphael of KPFA Women's Magazine asks Professors Maria Floro and Stephanie Seguino, two of the premier voices on gender equity and globalization, to demystify trade policy.
Length: 28:48 minutes (39.56 MB)
Aw@l
Aw@l

Honduras, Canada's free trade, and assassinating the opposition

May 14, 2016
| Raul Burbano of Common Frontiers on Canada's support of the post-coup government in Honduras, including the horrific situation faced by Indigenous people and others who opposed the government.
Length: 59:57 minutes (54.9 MB)
Columnists

The Mediterranean refugee crisis is a human-made disaster

Funeral procession for boat refugees, April 23, 2015 - Brussels. Photo: Amnesty

Would whoever makes these decisions please stop treating refugees who drown in the Mediterranean as if they're another earthquake or tsunami? This isn't a natural disaster, it's a hands-on human one. Anyway, even natural disasters like global warming aren't merely natural now.

Tags:
migrants global capitalism economic imperialism migration free trade agreements Mediterranean refugees

Comments

We welcome your comments! rabble.ca embraces a pro-human rights, pro-feminist, anti-racist, queer-positive, anti-imperialist and pro-labour stance, and encourages discussions which develop progressive thought. Our full comment policy can be found here. Learn more about Disqus on rabble.ca and your privacy here. Please keep in mind:

Do

  • Tell the truth and avoid rumours.
  • Add context and background.
  • Report typos and logical fallacies.
  • Be respectful.
  • Respect copyright - link to articles.
  • Stay focused. Bring in-depth commentary to our discussion forum, babble.

Don't

  • Use oppressive/offensive language.
  • Libel or defame.
  • Bully or troll.
  • Post spam.
  • Engage trolls. Flag suspect activity instead.
Photo: pmwebphotos/flickr
Harper and Modi announce a Canada-India 'free trade' agreement by September
By
Brent Patterson
| April 16, 2015

Efforts are being stepped up to conclude a Canada-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) by September, just prior to the October 19 federal election. This agenda was announced as Stephen Harper met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Ottawa yesterday.

Read more
Photo: pmwebphotos/flickr
Will Modi's visit to Canada include the signing of a Canada-India FIPA?
By
Brent Patterson
| April 15, 2015

When Narendra Modi was elected the prime minister of India in May 2014, Stephen Harper stated, "I look forward to working with Prime Minister-elect Modi and the new government of India to further strengthen our social and economic partnership to the benefit of our citizens."

That "economic partnership" could include Canada-India "free trade" and "investment protection" agreements.

Read more
Columnists

Corporate rights protections: A primer on investor-state dispute settlement

Photo: Jakob Huber/ECI Stop TTIP!/flickr

In light of the latest NAFTA Chapter 11 decision to go against Canada, I was asked to put together some background notes for our Unifor leadership on this bizarre quasi-judicial kangaroo court system. Here they are, in case they are useful for anyone else getting up to speed on the whole investor-state dispute system.

Some very good and more detailed resources on the subject include:

Tags:
NAFTA CETA Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) free trade agreements trade justice chapter 11 investor protection investor-state Investor-state dispute settlement ISDS

Comments

We welcome your comments! rabble.ca embraces a pro-human rights, pro-feminist, anti-racist, queer-positive, anti-imperialist and pro-labour stance, and encourages discussions which develop progressive thought. Our full comment policy can be found here. Learn more about Disqus on rabble.ca and your privacy here. Please keep in mind:

Do

  • Tell the truth and avoid rumours.
  • Add context and background.
  • Report typos and logical fallacies.
  • Be respectful.
  • Respect copyright - link to articles.
  • Stay focused. Bring in-depth commentary to our discussion forum, babble.

Don't

  • Use oppressive/offensive language.
  • Libel or defame.
  • Bully or troll.
  • Post spam.
  • Engage trolls. Flag suspect activity instead.
Photo: 401kcalculator/flickr
'Free trade' deals a threat to public health care
By
Brent Patterson
| February 18, 2015

Various so-called 'free trade' agreements are taking aim at the advancement of health care for all.

Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA)

This is an almost-finalized agreement between Canada and the European Union that will face ratification votes in the latter half of this year or early in 2016.

Read more
25,000 people protest GMOs, CETA and TTIP in Berlin on January 17. Twitter photo
EU food safety commissioner doesn't see majority support for TTIP in national parliaments
By
Brent Patterson
| January 22, 2015

The European Union's commissioner for health and food safety says that the United States-European Union Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) needs to be ratified by all national parliaments in Europe and that, "At the moment, I don't see a safe majority for this yet."

Read more
Syndicate content