Changes

North America has also created a free trade zone (free from tariffs) with the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which was never ratified by the Senate as a treaty but which Congress passed into law anyway.  NAFTA establishes international courts that have already been used to force the United States to open its borders to Mexican trucks, which are less safe than American ones.  The importation of drugs into the United States from Mexico has increased since NAFTA went into effect.

North America has also created a free trade zone (free from tariffs) with the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which was never ratified by the Senate as a treaty but which Congress passed into law anyway.  NAFTA establishes international courts that have already been used to force the United States to open its borders to Mexican trucks, which are less safe than American ones.  The importation of drugs into the United States from Mexico has increased since NAFTA went into effect.

There are other free trade zones.  LAFTA is the Latin American Free Trade Agreement passed in 1961, and replaced in 1981 by the Latin American Integration Association.  It helps Latin American countries develop economic independence from foreign powers.  There is CAFTA, a recently enacted Central American Free Trade Agreement that the United States joined.  There is ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, founded in 1967 by Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines to combat communism.  ASEAN signed trade agreements with Japan (1977) and the European Community (1980).  All these agreements and associations seek to reduce tariffs and promote free trade.

There are other free trade zones.  LAFTA is the Latin American Free Trade Agreement passed in 1961, and replaced in 1981 by the Latin American Integration Association (ALADI).  ALADI has not been very succesful and therefore several Latin American countries decided to form new free trade zones.  The most succesful free trade zone in Latin America is the South American Common Market (Mercosur) which has Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Venezuela as members.  Other trade zones in the Americas include the Andean Community, the Central American Common Market (CACM) and the Carribean Common Market (Caricom). These agreements Latin American countries develop economic independence from foreign powers.  There is CAFTA, a recently enacted Central American Free Trade Agreement that the United States joined.  There is ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, founded in 1967 by Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines to combat communism.  ASEAN signed trade agreements with Japan (1977) and the European Community (1980).  All these agreements and associations seek to reduce tariffs between member states and promote free trade.

The promotion of free trade has many opponents.  Conservatives object to sending money to communist countries and the resultant loss of American manufacturing jobs to near-slave labor in foreign countries.  Unions object to their loss of jobs.  Many inside and outside the United States object to a culture of “consumerism”, such that people are encouraged to buy more than what they actually need.  Brand names like McDonalds, Coca-Cola and Nike dominate television and the culture of teenagers.  “McDonaldization” is when American advertising (as in the case of McDonalds) has an influence on the world culture, causing distant children (like Chinese) to repeat a McDonald’s slogan they heard on television.

The promotion of free trade has many opponents.  Conservatives object to sending money to communist countries and the resultant loss of American manufacturing jobs to near-slave labor in foreign countries.  Unions object to their loss of jobs.  Many inside and outside the United States object to a culture of “consumerism”, such that people are encouraged to buy more than what they actually need.  Brand names like McDonalds, Coca-Cola and Nike dominate television and the culture of teenagers.  “McDonaldization” is when American advertising (as in the case of McDonalds) has an influence on the world culture, causing distant children (like Chinese) to repeat a McDonald’s slogan they heard on television.