Tariff's end could mean Unrest for Mexico

On New Year's Day, Mexico will enter the final stage of NAFTA agreements with the lifting of tariffs and quotas on corn, beans, milk and sugar. In 1993, at the signing of the free trade agreement, Mexico farmers were given limited and temporary protection from U.S. imports on these items. Come the new year these protections are gone and Mexican farmers will have to compete with U.S. subsidized agribusiness. This is a feat that the Mexican farm association says the nation's farmers are woefully unprepared to meet.
Mexico's Democratic Revolution Party (PRD) has called on President Felipe Calderon to renegotiate the final opening of Mexico's food market and remove corn and beans from the list of unprotected trade goods.
It doesn't take genius to see the cause and effect of such policies and an increase of immigration into the U.S. In the past the U.S. has seen that of the 400,00 Mexicans that enter the country, 80 percent are from rural areas as these tariffs have been gradually dissolving over the past 15 years.
In addition, there are indications of an uprising within Mexico if these trade goods do see a final lifting of tariff protection.
Is it not dumbfounding that the people of the U.S. continue to assume the role of the victim and or the rescuer of other nations while the administration continues to hammer these weaker nations with foreign policies that mercilessly strip them of their resources and flood their markets? Is it really so surprising that the people of other nations breed an animosity for the government of this country (and increasingly for the people of this country who too idly sit by and tolerate such policies, or worse, remain ignorant of them and their impact on poorer nations) that exploits them? Is it not time that we wake up at times such as this and notice that when a people cry out, as Mexico is and surely will be even louder in recent days to come, and begin asking tough questions? Begin seeing the bigger picture of the cause of free trade and affect of increased suffering and impoverishment of exploited nations? Begin understanding the rhetoric of our politicians for what it is when they speak of "free trade", bull shit.

GOP Bigot Candidate Fred Thompson Links Mortgage Crisis and Immigrants

Well, there is ignorance and than there is ignorance. GOP candidate Fred Thompson delivered a nice performance of individual stupidity at its finest when at his Iowa Conservative Clear Choice appearance he stated that immigrants were, in part, responsible for the mortgage/sub prime loan crisis because of their limited command of the English language. Apparently, it didn't have anything to do with the motives of predatory loaners when it came to Spanish speaking immigrants, but their failure to speak and understand the English language sufficiently. Thompson also expressed his asinine opinion that it is imperative that immigrants learn to speak English. This was precipitated by the expressed hostility of Janice Easley who accused illegal immigrants of being a burden to U.S. taxpayers. She also expressed her disgust over having to hear Spanish when calling the power company. Thompson responded by saying, "You are so right..."
Unfortunately, this is just the kind of thinking that appeals to the constituents of the GOP. It appeals to those individuals who are forever looking for "the enemy" of which every administration is never short in producing for the American people. It is a classic case of blaming the victim. It both serves to take the focus off of the immoral activities of the mortgage and real estate companies and government for laxed regulations and to hold responsible those who are believed to be an enemy to the citizens of the U.S.
Lastly, it seems that with the slipping away of our freedom of speech as we continue to suffer the increasing loss of civil liberties, people are not only being threatened with detainment for what they say, but chastised for what language they say it in.
Thompson is a perfect choice for the GOP candidacy.