FWD: Pat Choate on the Free Booters

[MDOLAN <mdolan@citizen.org>]

  Picked this up on another reflector
  thought I'd pass it along
  for what it's worth
  M. Dolan
  ***********
  
  The Free Booters: by Gene Crocker, Ph.D., The Voice of a Reformer
  
       There used to be a group of cut throat, Caribbean pirates who made 
  their living by
  destroying the livelihood and the lives of others.  Their seized every 
  opportunity to
  advance their own interests to the detriment of all human beings. People 
  were objects to
  be raped, and then cast aside. Lying, cheating and enslavement were taken as 
  given in
  their behavior.  What they couldn't pillage they ruined. What they couldn't 
  plunder they
  razed. They were called free booters.
       The current crop of free booters are more sophisticated than their 
  predecessors.
  Greed is disguised as "bottom line" and plunder as "dividends" (after the 
  captain's
  share is deducted, of course).  They have hired professional liars 
  (political
  consultants, lobbyists and members of the media) to spin their praises. They 
  proudly
  wave their corporate flag of free trade, but close up, this banner looks 
  more like the
  black flag of piracy.
       The modern free booters' first major success was the Maquiladora act of 
  1972.  This
  law was designed to evade environmental, wage and labor safety regulations 
  in the United
  States.  It established a null tariff border with Mexico for international
  manufacturers.  The free booters built their factories and made enormous 
  profits. In
  doing so, they defiled the environment and the Mexican people while 
  suborning Mexican
  and American law.  They made the Rio Grand into a cesspool of disease and 
  human misery.
  The free traders added the battle ribbon of "Babies born without brain 
  stems" to their
  Skull and Cross Bones banner.
       Success after success followed for the free booters.  "Keep trade laws 
  from the
  eyes of the American voter" was achieved when Fast Tract legislation was 
  passed in 1974.
  "Let's buy the American government" campaign finance acts were passed in 
  1976.  The Gatt
  Trade rounds passed in a blink of the public's eye. Tax breaks and corporate 
  welfare for
  special interests were "slipped" into huge bills and ravaged the taxpayer. 
  (IBM made
  profits of $500 million in 1985 and paid no taxes for that year.)
       In 1992 and 1996, Bill Clinton, the Teflon Seducer (Tell them what they 
  want to
  hear, and get their votes and their money.) was elected.  He joined hands 
  with Newton
  Gingrich (I have a vision for the destruction of the United States.) to pass 
  Nafta
  "Let's ravish  all of America." in 1994 and then WTO/Gatt " Let's do it to 
  everybody
  else." in 1995. These two acts were bought by campaign bribery paid by the 
  free booters.
       Most Favored Nation trade status for Communist China (We don't care 
  about the
  Chinese Holocaust, just pay us and we will help you enslave and dominate the 
  rest of the
  World.)  was passed from 1984 thru 1997. Again by campaign finance abuse.  
  The free
  booters current goals are to renew Fast Track and pass the Multilateral 
  Agreement on
  Investments "Let's get rid of America's control of its own tax, tariff, and 
  banking
  laws".
        For the past twenty five years the free booters have dominated 
  Congress. The
  United States standard of living has gone from the highest in the world down 
  to the
  14th.  Our average pay has decreased to 13th.  We have lost most of our 
  industrial base.
  80% of our  incomes have decreased or become stagnant.  We have lost the 
  right to make
  our own laws about the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the clothes we 
  wear.  Drugs
  are pouring into our country and are devastating our families. Our laws are 
  not
  enforced, our Constitution is disregarded, and our national security is 
  ignored.  The
  democrats and the republicans have sold their parties and our government to 
  the free
  booters. We, once proud American Citizens, have become enchained, muted 
  victims
  suffering the misrule of special interests and their god mammon.  Where are 
  the
  men and women of honor, integrity, and tradition who oppose this new 
  slavery?
  And you, what about you?  Have you too sold your soul to the free booters?
  
  God Bless.
  ===== Comments by MDOLAN@CITIZEN (MDOLAN) at 10/06/97 8:36 am
  Indeed.