MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

• 

  DouglasBlammo

  Translated: Barry's bosses want the weapons deals. Nothing more.

  Dec 19th, 2011 - 10:57 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  -+

• 

  GeoffWard2

  This is like Obama saying “I want a free trade deal with Asia!”
  ( Bush would have been much more likely to have said “I want a deal with Asia - by the way, what kind of country is Asia, and does it vote Republican?”)
  
  Obama is educated; he never said this.
  He also knows there is no mechanism for creating a Continent-wide FTA.
  The most he can get is a country-by-country accumulation of bi-lateral trade agreements, each new one modifying the trading conditions of the previous ones.
  This is the world we now live in.
  
  Half a dozen S.A. nations can do the business in trade-volume terms, but some strategic materials are to be found in 'minor nations';
  the basket of deals will be different in every case.

  Dec 19th, 2011 - 12:46 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  -+

• 

  Fido Dido

  Brazil made it many times clear that it cannot and won't have a free trade agreement witha bogus free trader that subsidize it's industry (illegal). The US, mainly the republicans, barks that it's also against those subsidies, but since campaign (bribes) donations also matter, they won't say anything about it when it matters. I agree with douglas, they want the weapons deal, and Brazil can get it for a great price, because the US is willing to give alot away, since those transnational companies, do not care as much about the US anymore like in the past, because they know, the growth is there in Brazil.
  
  Geoff, Globalization (bogus free trade) is dead up north in the US (Go to Detroit and you'll see why) and in the south like Florida, they kinda love it since they depend on foreigners, local economy collapsed after the fake housing bubble. But on average, they know, NAFTA is a scam, but they can do nothing about it.

  Dec 19th, 2011 - 03:51 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  -+

• 

  ChrisR

  3 Fido Dido
  Brazils' greatest trading partner is China.
  
  How do you describe the continuing monetary stance of China in respect of all other world currencies? Or given your post, don't you understand the question?

  Dec 19th, 2011 - 05:21 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  -+

• 

  Yuleno

  China is not in S A ChrisR.The Yanquis are not talking about free trade with china,it's with S A countries.The thing about free trade is they want it when it suits them and not when it doesn't.You know like with china.I think it's called'we're in trouble,help us out'
  Rather than weapons,don't you think it's attempting to give brazil a favoured nation status again to exploit the other nations like in the past.

  Dec 19th, 2011 - 10:47 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  -+

• 

  GeoffWard2

  Yul, etc,
  it's not as if the nations of SA don't know that any deal would be a partnership of the unequals; this is beyond dispute.
  
  The issue is - can the specific trade deal offer win-win arrangements?
  If yes, and if the arrangement is well drafted, the deal can last and prosper. No trade deal lasts forever - as we see in the Argentina-Brasil debacles - but whilst they are working well they offer specific advantage to the participants, to the trading disadvantage of those without similar agreements.
  It is non-coersive, but it does tie-in participants to mutual, though asymmetric, spheres of influence that have the effect of - and are designed to be - excluding of competitors that also want to use trade arrangements to extend their own sphere of influence.
  
  It is just a transaction, a bit like marriage with its tax-break advantages, and nobody expects it to be 'til death do us part.
  Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,
  Old Time is still a-flying;
  And this same flower that smiles today
  Tomorrow will be dying.
  
  The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun,
  The higher he's a-getting,
  The sooner will his race be run,
  And nearer he's to setting.
  
  That age is best which is the first,
  When youth and blood are warmer;
  But being spent, the worse, and worst
  Times still succeed the former.
  
  Then be not coy, but use your time,
  And while ye may, go marry;
  For having lost but once your prime,
  You may forever tarry.
  ............. To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time; Robert Herrick

  Dec 20th, 2011 - 09:13 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  -+

Commenting for this story is now closed.
If you have a Facebook account, become a fan and comment on our Facebook Page!