intimate economies in bed.
Recently I have come across some articles in the paper pertaining to a future potential marriage trade agreement between the EU and Canada. It’s fascinating timing and demonstrates the dumassery of politicians. Jumping into these types of relationships early can lead to big mistakes and like Hollywood romances, they can end in costly disaster.
Apparently, representatives of the EU and the leaders of the provinces of Canada are to meet and discuss a free-trade-esk agreement with the goal of finishing negotiations by 2012. This agreement includes the ability for European companies to bid on Canadian government contracts that are presently reserved for local (Canadian) contractors. It could benefit for Europe immensely if the companies can compete with the local prices (which will be fairly easy). But while the pharmaceutical side of the agreement will help generate hundreds of millions of dollars in the sector, it will also make generic drugs more expensive for the average consumer and for the provinces. Government contracts and pharmaceuticals are just a demonstration of the breadth sectors currently being negotiated under the large umbrella of trade agreements.
The problems with this agreement have nothing to do with nationalistic protectionism, but relate to current market complexities, sinking ships (aka stressed banks), and agreements with markets we barely understand. Considering the current global economic meltdown, throwing in all your chips for a deal “which is designed to reduce tariffs and trade restrictions in a variety of sectors (Globe and Mail, Feb 7, 2011)” is a bit vexing. Why broker a deal with Europe when many European banks have failed stress tests? Presently, a great deal of Canadian trade is dependent on the US and with the American economy tanking and all, one has to wonder why broad trade agreements are still being made.
One thing at a time people.
Or at least one or two sectors at a time.
The domino effect of economic meltdown is the likely outcome of the current global economic crisis. First Greece went down, and now the EU and US are toppling. The Iron Triangle of banks, corporations, and politicians has mutated through cross-boarder trade negotiations in all sectors into an economic hypercube–a construct much too complicated for most analysts to truly understand. Wedding economies through CETA adds another dimension to the economic landscape and we are risking more by not having any boundaries. Could we at least test an agreement with just a couple of sectors instead of rolling the dice on all of them?
Trade is good, but fucking come on! Total economic integration? Are you fucking kidding me?!
Said EU spokesman John Clancy (Reuters, July 15), “While a number of issues remain complex and will need further work over the coming months, significant progress was made across the board, including on goods, services and public procurement.” Perhaps we should also take the time not to integrate quite so fully, John.
Can’t we just be friends? Plutonic friends with potential benefits?
‘Cause the US was getting around, cheating on us, and we all got screwed. Instead of fucking one another, let’s cuddle and talk. Let’s learn from our mistakes, the transgressions perpetrated in the past two years, and stop hurting each other. And maybe down the road we can move in together and test our relationship before we get married.
So let’s fuck less and cuddle more and learn from the past two years. It’s not business as usual in our current economy so why don’t we test our relationship before we get married.
dumminitdown 