Whose Trade Organization?: A Comprehensive Guide to the World Trade Organization, Second Edition

Rating:
Summary: WTO - the real antichrist!
Review: A MUST read for all citizens and government employees! We have been sold down the river. All of our health, safety, environmental, labor, and manufacturing policies have been compromised by the dictates of the WTO. The only ones benefitting from this organization are multi-national and U.S. mega-corporations and rich countries. They can challenge any and all policies of any country in which they feel there is trade discrimination. Wallach and Sforza do a fantastic job of documenting numerous instances.

Rating:
Summary: Useful data on WTO, slim analysis
Review: Contrary to the typical rantings of Neo-cons and neo-liberals, this book is not a book by and for Socialists (or, more accurately, anti-capitalists of any sort). This book does not have any kind of critique of capitalism. Only the sort of ideologues who lust after Latin American dictatorships like Pinochet's, which meant 'small government' (no social welfare type apparatus) and a strong state (death squads, political executions, smashing of dissent), will find this book threatening.

The book does have a lot of useful information on how the WTO runs and how it is focussed on the needs of corporations, most of which reside in the most developed capitalist countries, and which seek a set of global rules that allows them greater freedom of movement to invest and exploit (wow, I already hear the neo-cons whining because I used the 'E' word.) It also shows that the balance between global capital and the nation state has shifted, though this does not have the dire anti-democratic consequences claimed herein. That would be the liberal assumption that the nation state 'represents the people' and that that is a good thing.

At the same time as some people claim that the WTO is killing the nation state, this book makes it clear that the WTO is a body run by and through nation states. Corporations cannot directly intervene, but must have their concerns addressed through nation state mediators.

The book also does a good job of exposing the total lack of accountability of the WTO, as well as one of its unique features: unlike previous UN organizations, the WTO has disciplinary powers which it can use to enforce its rulings, something no 'humanitarian' part of the UN ever had.

The abscence of any kind of class analysis hinders this book theoretically and means that some possibly interesting questions do not get answered.

This book is better read alongside some other texts, which, even with their failings, fill in some of blanks here, such as Negri and Hardt's Empire.

Overall, a pretty useful and utilitarian overview of the WTO.

Rating:
Summary: Useful data on WTO, slim analysis
Review: Contrary to the typical rantings of Neo-cons and neo-liberals, this book is not a book by and for Socialists (or, more accurately, anti-capitalists of any sort). This book does not have any kind of critique of capitalism. Only the sort of ideologues who lust after Latin American dictatorships like Pinochet's, which meant 'small government' (no social welfare type apparatus) and a strong state (death squads, political executions, smashing of dissent), will find this book threatening.

The book does have a lot of useful information on how the WTO runs and how it is focussed on the needs of corporations, most of which reside in the most developed capitalist countries, and which seek a set of global rules that allows them greater freedom of movement to invest and exploit (wow, I already hear the neo-cons whining because I used the 'E' word.) It also shows that the balance between global capital and the nation state has shifted, though this does not have the dire anti-democratic consequences claimed herein. That would be the liberal assumption that the nation state 'represents the people' and that that is a good thing.

At the same time as some people claim that the WTO is killing the nation state, this book makes it clear that the WTO is a body run by and through nation states. Corporations cannot directly intervene, but must have their concerns addressed through nation state mediators.

The book also does a good job of exposing the total lack of accountability of the WTO, as well as one of its unique features: unlike previous UN organizations, the WTO has disciplinary powers which it can use to enforce its rulings, something no 'humanitarian' part of the UN ever had.

The abscence of any kind of class analysis hinders this book theoretically and means that some possibly interesting questions do not get answered.

This book is better read alongside some other texts, which, even with their failings, fill in some of blanks here, such as Negri and Hardt's Empire.

Overall, a pretty useful and utilitarian overview of the WTO.

Rating:
Summary: Looking on WTO info? This is the one!
Review: Just what are all those protesters so upset about, anyway? This book will tell you. It's a quick, accurate, well-composed book examining the effects of the WTO on developing countries' poverty, health care, natural resources, and human rights.

This review doesn't need to be lengthy: Look, there are lots of books on the WTO. If you want the accurate summary to understand this issue simply, this is it.

Rating:
Summary: More whining from the Socialists of the world
Review: This book appeals to one kind of person: The Socialist. This book voices the complaint of these people that global trade will hurt Third World countries. It complains that First World companies, all of whom are Capitalist, some how oppress the Third World countries, and by allowing open global trade, these Third World countries will be hurt worse. This may be true! Nobody doubts that possibility. What they don't mention, what they never want to admit, is that these same countries are all centrally-planned, dictatorial nations of some form or another. Their very socioeconomic configuration dictates that they be a struggling, backwards, and economically retarded country. Of course, the Socialists who enjoy this book, and the woman who wrote it, will stomp their feet and insist that central economic planning is good for "freedom". Freedom from what? Freedom from want and need? Perhaps. Of course what they don't tell you is that central economic planning crushes the human spirit, and robs all people of true freedom to buy, sell, and create as they wish, as free people. This death of the human spirit is evident in such countries as China, where Communism (a variant of the more generic Socialist form) is still the order of the day. Hong Kong, a Capitalist nation state, is thriving. China, right next door, is floundering in poverty and misery under a despotic Government.

It is true also, that pre-Nazi Germany was a National Socialist nation. These well meaning Socialists created a system of central economic planning, which Hitler exploited in his tyrannical reign. What every Socialist never realizes is that the means they propose to acheive their ends, is a double edged sword. In the wrong hands, it can be the most destructive, horrific force on the planet.

The fact of the matter is that the larger and more complex societies grow, the greater need there is for open free trade. The larger and more complex societies grow, the more impossible the task of central economic planning by a Government becomes.

Yet, all of this matters not to the Socialists. They rail against the WTO, crying for "democracy" all the while ignoring the very facts which have created the Third Worlds in the first place, namely the very systems they advocate for the entire planet today.

The next time you meet someone crying about the WTO, ask them what they propose. You can rest assured, their response will involve the use of FORCE by GOVERNMENT to "shut down" or "abolish" the WTO, and other Capitalist entities which they view as harming "the poor".

So, we have a choice. We can embrace free trade Capitalism, where at least there is the opportunity to live totally free, or you can embrace the Strong Hand of Big Brother, crushing the life out of the human spirit in the name of "equality". No system is all good, but clearly the alternatives proposed by the nay sayers of the WTO are the worse of the two choices. Give your Government enough central power, and eventually it is going to come back to haunt you. Free Global trade ensures that no despotic ruler can ever slaughter millions of people again in a desparate attempt to retain power in a crumbling sham of Socialist government. First comes Socialism, then comes FASCISM. Never forget NAZI GERMANY.

Give me Liberty, or Give me Death.

Rating:
Summary: An alternative perspective
Review: This book did a wonderful job of thoroughly covering dispute cases and pointing out structural flaws in the WTO. The writing style was easy to understand and appealed to a broad audience.

Rating:
Summary: Could be better...alot better
Review: When I purchased this book I was hoping to learn more about the structure of the World Trade Organization, how it functions, etc. Instead I got a very one sided and sometimes emotional third world rant on how it is exploiting people (particularly third world countries and people).

I live in the first world, moreover I don't think very many people in the third world could afford to buy this book. Now the case examples of the WTO in action in regards to patents and trade disputes was disturbing (and thus one of the best parts of the book). For example, it tells how the US got into a trade dispute with Canada and the U.S. was forced to repeal it's legislation prohibiting asbestos because of WTO tribinal decision (the WTO tribunals are ultra secretive which itself is a bad sign, if you are doing what is right why hide it).

However 2/3 of this book goes into a rant talking about how the EU and US are trying to exploit India, Brazil, Indonesia and other third world nations, how those third world nations are fighting back etc.

That page space could be better used explaining how the WTO hurts people in america (which I assure you it does, the mass immigration from mexico was caused by the destruction of the mexican farming sector). Personally, I believe that these various economies shouldn't be interconnected because it creates the possibility of global depression caused by a few major economies having hard times (think of the saying: Don't put all your eggs in one basket), as well as inconsistency in various national laws and host of problems that are hard to solve on a national scale. Sadly, increased pressure for global governance seems to be where the backlash against the WTO and free trade is taking us (An even more ridiculous solution to a ridiculous problem).

This book could have been better instead they (the authors) decided to make it primarily about anti-corporate emotionalism (anti-capitalist emotionalism) and third world victim ranting.