Some NYT wisdom on the Gap and Doha
Saturday, November 12, 2005 at 5:51PM ■"Memo to Poor Countries: Stand Fast," editorial, New York Times, 11 November 2005, p. A24.
Brazil told the EU, says this editorial, that if they don't budge on the ag subsidies, then the Doha Round will never happen.
This the right stand and eventually the EU will crack, or we'll just have to invade France and engage in some regime change.
As the editorial points out, GATT and the successor WTO have lowered tariffs on basically everything except ag. The Old Core subsidizes its farm community to the tune of about $1B a day. This has got to stop. It's immoral. It's basically slow-motion murder.
Bush has tried to bring the subsidies down, and gets betrayed by his own party on this score. Rob Portman, current trade rep, has an offer on the table of a 60% cut for the U.S. if the Europeans cut their higher rates by 85%, and France basically said no.
Chirac is a frickin' disaster for France and the world. Time for him to go. Thank God his term is up.
Otherwise Ö
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