WTO dictating U.S. trade policy.The World Trade Organization (WTO See World Trade Organization. ) has recently flexed its global regulatory muscle over U.S. economic sovereignty. On November 11, the WTO ruled that President Bush's steel tariffs violate WTO rules. According to the WTO's edict A decree or law of major import promulgated by a king, queen, or other sovereign of a government. An edict can be distinguished from a public proclamation in that an edict puts a new statute into effect whereas a public proclamation is no more than a declaration of a law , the European Union European Union (EU), name given since the ratification (Nov., 1993) of the Treaty of European Union, or Maastricht Treaty, to the European Community and several other nations now have the right to impose retaliatory tariffs on the United States, unless President Bush reverses his March 2002 decision to protect U.S. steel manufacturers from foreign imports. The Bush administration, according to Washington sources, is likely to acquiesce to the WTO's demands. According to a source quoted by the Washington Post, Karl Rove, Bush's top political adviser and campaign strategist, is already urging that the tariffs be repealed. Capitol Hill Republicans have begun chiming in. Said Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), "although I may not agree with every decision at the WTO, it's important that we comply when decisions go against us. Complying with our WTO obligations is an important sign of leadership." Say again? Servile ser·vile adj. 1. Abjectly submissive; slavish. 2. a. Of or suitable to a slave or servant. b. Of or relating to servitude or forced labor. compliance with an illegitimate arm of nascent world government is "leadership"? Not everyone with a voice in the steel tariff debate is so eager to surrender U.S. sovereignty as the president and his congressional cronies, however. Leo Leo, in astronomy Leo [Lat.,=the lion], northern constellation lying S of Ursa Major and on the ecliptic (apparent path of the sun through the heavens) between Cancer and Virgo; it is one of the constellations of the zodiac. W. Gerard, president of the United Steelworkers, had a slightly different take. "The [WTO] decision," he said, "undoubtedly confronts Mr. Bush with a test of wills: Will he exercise his sovereign right as president to protect the jobs and survival of the entire American steel industry, or will he knuckle under to the threat of economic blackmail being leveled by the European Union?" Nice try, but the real issue is: Will President Bush continue to kowtow to the demands of internationalist insiders by sacrificing American sovereignty at every opportunity, or will he re-assert American independence and move to withdraw the United States from the United Nations, the WTO, the FTAA FTAA Free Trade Area of the Americas FTAA Free Trade Agreement of the Americas FTAA Florida Turkish American Association FTAA Federated Tanners Association of Australia FTAA Fixed Threshold Adaptation Algorithm , and all the other sovereignty-snuffing international organizations we're entangled en·tan·gle tr.v. en·tan·gled, en·tan·gling, en·tan·gles 1. To twist together or entwine into a confusing mass; snarl. 2. To complicate; confuse. 3. To involve in or as if in a tangle. with? If the past is prelude, Mr. Bush, who has a long record of enthusiastic support for the entire modern international system, is unlikely to abandon the WTO. The WTO has given the United States until December 15 to comply with its ruling or face trade sanctions. |
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