Why oppose trade blocs?
In the story “SWP holds national convention,” which appeared in the July 14 Militant, you mentioned that “revolutionaries must take a clear position rejecting all imperialist trade and economic pacts,” citing the European Union and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) as examples. I believe workers everywhere should reject the European Union as an attempt to gain a competitive edge over American and Japanese rivals, an excuse for government austerity measures, and a hostile move against the workers’ states of Eastern Europe. I also oppose NAFTA because its aims are to assure American hegemony and to deepen the exploitation of workers, especially Mexican workers. However, some economic pacts reflect the interests of a “liberal” sector of the bourgeoisie, and lead to such progressive measures as the elimination of tariffs and other trade restrictions which usually harm all workers, the relaxation of harsh immigration laws, and even the cancellation of the foreign debts of semi
