should we get rid of the WTO?

[SunWuKong]

should we get rid of the WTO? and if so, what, if anything, should replace it? what would the consequences be if the WTO was to be abolished?

[Broomer]

That depends if I end up getting a job with them. :)
The WTO, in my view, is a bit of a double edge sword.
On the one hand, it's a bit of a puppet of the developed nations. It's like CHOAS without Seigfred in it.
On the other hand, it has helped (at least in the public eye) a lot of less developed nations by giving them the funds needed to build up their infrastructure; or at least that's the theory.

I haven't really answered the question have I? I think we should keep it. Unless it's proven to be doing something illegal or unethical, then there's no point removing it.

Broomer

[daffodil]

Well, even if it's superficially, it provides a forum where countries can go to negotiate trade disputes. To make it more genuine, I think it needs to be restructured and redefined.

However, I don't like the elitism associated with these international organizations. I don't like the "member country" system. It sucks. Whether or not we like to admit it, everyone participates in trade and the WTO (and other international agencies alike) need to learn to be more neutral and inclusive. Everyone woos the richer countries to be "members" and it kind of shuts out smaller and/or poorer countries.

I like WTO in that it has the potential to equalize the world and close the poverty gaps a bit more by having the power to facilitate trade between rich and poor countries. I don't believe in "giving aid" to 3rd world. I think most of it gets swallowed up by corrupt officials or goes towards the "administration fees" of these alleged aid agencies. Foreign aid doesn't end up helping the people we want it to help. I think something like 80 - 95% of it are lost through these means.

The problems associated with the poverty gap between developed and undeveloped countries stems from reliance on foreign aid and from growing problems in developed countries. While undeveloped countries might be poor (with respect to capital -- such as equipment, machinery, infrastructure), they are labor-rich.

Some leftist-based media are biased in painting cheap labor as means of exploitation. It really isn't. By encouraging corporations to utilize cheap labor in undeveloped countries, we're creating employment and livelihood for the people. While moving GDP into a poorer country, we're also giving the people stepping stones skills to enhance their lives.

WTO has the power to facilitate this if it's reorganized properly.

The other thing the WTO needs is a good communications department. It needs for the public to understand the nature of its work because enforcement of its policies depend heavily on general public support and cooperation.

[SunWuKong]

The problems associated with the poverty gap between developed and undeveloped countries stems from reliance on foreign aid and from growing problems in developed countries. While undeveloped countries might be poor (with respect to capital -- such as equipment, machinery, infrastructure), they are labor-rich.

well, not really. the problem stems from that developing nations have had to open their markets up to manufactured goods from developed nations while protectionist policies are allowed to stay in place in the markets of developed nations.

Some leftist-based media are biased in painting cheap labor as means of exploitation. It really isn't. By encouraging corporations to utilize cheap labor in undeveloped countries, we're creating employment and livelihood for the people. While moving GDP into a poorer country, we're also giving the people stepping stones skills to enhance their lives.

i agree that cheap labour in developing nations is essentially good. at the end of the day, having a shitty job beats not having a job at all. but i would like these multi-national big businesses to pay their labourers a little more.

however, just because a country's GDP is growing, it doesn't necessarily mean that its people's quality of life is improving. the things that these labourers produce are usually too expensive for them to buy, because of the one-price principle - that adjusting for production cost, not including labour cost, and adjusting transportation cost, a product is to be sold at the same price no matter at what market it is sold.

also, these companies can keep the wages of their labourers in developing countries forever just low enough to scrape out a living. that does not improve their quality of life.

basically it would be naive to sweepingly say that cheap labour is good for developing nations.

[Yeahman]

The consensus building really bogs things down.
Ideally, we'd have an organization whose members agree that ALL tarrifs, trade barriers, and subsidies are illegal. No exceptions.

[SunWuKong]

The consensus building really bogs things down.
Ideally, we'd have an organization whose members agree that ALL tarrifs, trade barriers, and subsidies are illegal. No exceptions.


i saw a documentary about the WTO and they interviewed this "expert" who said that the WTO was basically conceived to protect trade from governments and politics. but now it's sort of like a runaway train and that the governments of developing nations need to have more control of free trade.

[Yeahman]

i saw a documentary about the WTO and they interviewed this "expert" who said that the WTO was basically conceived to protect trade from governments and politics. but now it's sort of like a runaway train and that the governments of developing nations need to have more control of free trade.
They don't need more control. Everyone needs to have less control. Governments should not regulate trade.

Developing nations are not innocent in all this. The poorest nations tend to have the highest barriers to trade. It's not a coincidence.

From a quick glance at the higest tariff rates this is what I found (could be higher, I didn't take the time to read through it all):
Cameroon: 30% tariff + 18.7% VAT
Congo: 30% tariff + 18.7% VAT
Cambodia: 35% + 10% VAT
Chad: 30% tariff + 18.7% VAT
Ghana: 20% + 12.5% VAT
Rwanda: 30% + 18% VAT
Zimbabwe: 25% + 15% VAT