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FTAA Debate

The FTAA, currently being negotiated by 34 countries of the Americas, is intended to be quite possibly the most far-reaching trade agreement in history. The FTAA stands for the Free Trade Area of the Americas, a name given to the process of expanding the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to all the other countries of the Western Hemisphere except Cuba. With a population of 800 million and a combined GDP of $11 trillion (US), the FTAA would be the largest free trade zone in the world. If signed, the FTAA will be the most far-reaching free trade agreement in the world, with a force of magnitude that will reach into every area of life for the citizens of the Americas. However, the proposed FTAA would also give corporations new "rights" to challenge and compete for every publicly funded service now provided by governments - from health care and education to social security, culture and environmental protection. If adopted, it could remove the ability of every government to crea...

Posted by: Melissa T. Littlefield

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