The U.S. retains at least two instruments to exercise power in the Asia-Pacific. RIMPAC provides a military instrument. For economic leverage there is APEC, which meets on Friday
Vijay Prashad: APEC — A Creature of Its Time
Tag: Free Trade
High-End US Donors Target an Antitrust Champion
Jim Hightower says a President Harris decision to keep or remove Lina Khan at the FTC will be an early measure of her commitment to economic democracy.
The Hidden Hand of the IMF in Sudan’s Crisis
Orthodox economics is the ideology of the rich and powerful, writes Dian Maria Blandina. Poor countries such as Sudan, that are trying to develop, cannot afford a regime of free trade.
Obstacles to Trump’s ‘Growth’ Plans
Rust Belt voters turned to Donald Trump in hopes he could reindustrialize the U.S., but the President-elect’s plans could encounter major financial and geopolitical obstacles, says ex-British diplomat Alastair Crooke.
Hillary Clinton’s ‘Pivot’ or ‘Spin’?
To stave off Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton became a born-again progressive, critical of trade deals and tough on fracking, but her preparations for a presidential transition presage a pro-corporate and hawkish administration, says Norman Solomon.
Is Hillary Double-Talking on Trade Deals?
Hillary Clinton is promising to take a tougher stand on U.S. trade deals, but is that just campaign talk to appease supporters of Bernie Sanders and steal some backing away from Donald Trump, asks JP Sottile.
Free Trade and a Textile Fire Tragedy
So-called “free trade” in textiles has led retailers to seek out the cheapest labor and to neglect safety measures, factors in a devastating Bangladesh fire in 2013 that killed more than 1,000 workers, recalls Dennis J Bernstein.
Two Corrupt Establishments
Exclusive: The insurgent campaigns of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders have staggered Official Washington’s twin corrupt establishments on the Republican and Democratic sides, but what happens next, asks Robert Parry.
The Hollow ‘Free-Trade’ Promises
Official Washington has long embraced “free-market” mantras, whether bank deregulation or fast-track trade bills promising prosperity for all. But the promises have been hollow, hollowing out the Middle Class and now causing problems for President Obama’s Pacific trade deal, write Bill Moyers and Bernard Weisberger.