Tuesday, September 16, 2003

And good riddance
I noticed much teeth gnashing on both the moderate right and left over the failure of the WTO soiree in Cancun. Frankly, my immoderate take is that the WTO is just another useless international organization and good riddance. The US doesn't need a peanut gallery of the usual suspects dictating trade policy. We already get enough worthless advice from the same characters at the United Nations. The focus now shifts back to bilateral agreements where it should have been all along as Jeffrey Sparshott details in the Washington Times:
The United States is ready to start forging bilateral and regional trade agreements after global talks collapsed Sunday under the weight of differences between rich and poor nations.
...
The United States is negotiating free-trade agreements with five countries in Central America, five in southern Africa, and with Australia and Morocco. Bahrain and the Dominican Republic also are set to start formal talks.
As for the usual suspects that are crowing over the WTO conference collapse as some sort of leftoid victory over capitalism, I can only say, "Thanks pals!"