Lecture puts Political Science into practice

Ilyse Kramer Staff Writer

Vassar experienced political science in action when senior fellow of the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, D.C. and director of their Global Economy Project Sarah Anderson gave a lecture on Free Trade, sponsored by the Political Science Department on Wednesday, Feb. 8.

Anderson sits on the Institute’s Alliance for Responsible Trade Steering Committee, where she currently works as “a progressive think tank for over 40 years that has transformed ideas for justice and peace,’” according to Associate Professor of Political Science Katherine Hite.

Anderson’s lecture examined some of the social and environmental influences of free trade. Free trade consists of trade agreements in which taxes on manufacturing goods are eliminated and there are no tariffs paid when goods cross borders. “I have seen the Bush administration use the War on Terror to push the free trade agenda,” said Anderson. She cited a Washington Post article, published soon after Sept. 11, which declared free trade the best way to fight terrorism. This argument and subsequent fear-mongering about terrorism drove Congress to pass free trade legislation by a scant two votes.

Anderson explained the Bush administration’s rhetoric for promoting free trade.

“According to the administration, free trade ‘helps democracy by reinforcing habits of liberty.’ There is absolutely no evidence for this,” said Anderson. “There is a second argument that if the United States is in a free trade agreement with another country, then that country will be more inclined to get on board with American policy. Yet, when the United States went to the UN Security Council to get approval for the War in Iraq, Canada and Mexico were opposed, despite the fact that these two countries have been trade partners with the U.S.”

“Colin Powell argues that ‘terrorism flourishes in areas of poverty and despair,’” continued Anderson. In reality, free trade policies have increased poverty in rural areas throughout the world. This poverty occurs because developing countries are unable to compete with the U.S. For instance, Mexico has lifted barriers to agricultural products from the United States because they can no longer compete. Also, workers are unable to form industrial unions despite numerous exports. Finally, policies place pressures on natural resources, which are a source of livelihood for many workers.”

During the question and answer session, Anderson addressed the difficulty of changing free trade policies. “It is a widely complicated issue of how to change this crazy system,” she said. “Countries in debt feel pressured to attract foreign investment, and developing debt then boomerangs back to the U.S. The best policy for counties may be instituting a trade block or pooling strengths. The European Union is a model to learn from. There should be a way to write rules that do not undermine social goals.”

“As much as I dislike speaking favorably about the Bush administration, Bush has set an important precedent in canceling the debts of 18 countries at the G8 Conference, which is more than Clinton ever did in office,” said Anderson. “Furthermore, consumer conscientiousness is growing. Labels such as GAP and Ralph Lauren now have codes of conduct that allow independent monitors.”

Anderson recently published Field Guide to the Global Economy with John Cavanagh.