[Januaryfirst] call out

[Dave Diewert]

Thanks, Alex, for putting out the draft call out. I did some editing on the main text, trying to shorten it a little. Since it's still a draft, it would be good if others could add to the discussion and contribute to the shaping of it.

see you on wednesday night at Rhizome ... dave

WHY TALK ABOUT TRADE?

In a globalized world, international agreements set the stage for how governments manage resources, invest in infrastructure and social services, facilitate the growth of industries, and regulate our lives. These agreements have been constructed to both reinforce and expand the policies of colonialism that originally established the rights of corporations.

Most people assume that governments represent "the will of the people" and, as such, look out for our best interest. We are told by our own governments that Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), which guarantee the global flow of capital and resources, are necessary for our well-being, necessary for our society to keep getting better.

However, the primary objective of FTAs it to fuse together capital and state interests in an effort to dismantle barriers to capital flow. Historically, this has resulted in destruction and dehumanization within nations and communities across the globe. From the privatization of resources, to the constant search for lower wages, to the abdication of the state to look after its own citizenry, FTAs further the dispossession of Indigenous people and undermine collective efforts to expand the commons.

The ideological trick of appealing to "freedom" to justify austerity and security masks the exceedingly tight grip already formed by the state. Using buzzwords like “participation” or “flexibility” ostensibly builds a shared vocabulary for common usage while simultaneously dissolving their meaning. FTAs legally inscribe and politically normalize "corporate rights" and so enhance capital's power to limit popular imagination about alternative ways to see the world.

Yet communities are resisting, and some amazing work is being done. Low-income folks are standing strong against gentrification and demanding social housing. Migrant justice organizers and workers are meeting and building connections to challenge bosses and the government. Indigenous communities are uniting and engaging in direct action to stop pipeline and tar sands development.

FTAs provide us the opportunity for discussion because their scope encompasses all of our struggles. If we can strengthen our connections they become harder to break and more formidable when we fight back.
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