| Why should China listen to WTO if Washington Won't? |
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| Written by Thomas Jensen | |||||||
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Tuesday, 10 April 2007
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 On Monday, the United States trade envoy Susan C. Schwab, announced that Washington would bring China to court at the World Trade Organization on issues concerning protectionism and piracy of intellectual property including books, music, videos, software and other goods.China currently has a $232 billion trade deficit with the United States so I can understand the need of addressing China's protectionist tactics. Especially the issues concerning intellectual property protection, but Washington should not get to unilaterally "pick and choose" which WTO ruling it will adhere to and which it expects others to adhere to. Ms. Schwab said that the latest steps “should not be viewed as hostile actions against China” and that resolving issues at the World Trade Organization in Geneva was “the normal way for mature trading partners” to handle differences. Really Ms. Schwab? Everyone involved in the online gambling industry hopes you will adhere to the WTO's ruling in your dispute with Antigua & Barbuda soon. Washington is currently thumbing their nose at a WTO compliance panel's decision concerning its protectionist behavior in regards to the online gambling industry. The World Trade Organization released the official 215 page report declaring that the United States failed to change legislation that unfairly targets online gambling websites. While the news is a clear victory for Antigua, Washington is still resisting the WTO ruling. "It vindicates all that we have been saying for years about the discriminatory trade practices of the US in this area, and we look forward to the US opening its markets," commented Antiguan Finance Minister Errol Cort. Jon Kyl had been unsuccessful in trying to get a version of UIGEA approved by the Senate for years, however he was never able to rally enough support. Thanks Jack! Kyl's lack of support might have been because his version of the law was riddled with inconsistencies by allowing some forms of online gambling. Any version of anti-gambling laws basically deprive Americans of their freedoms. The current US Administration is full of double standards, so with that being said: Why should China listen to the WTO if Washington won’t listen? China has already fired back. A Commerce Ministry spokesman in Beijing, Wang Xinpei, said the WTO action was "against the consensus reached between the two countries' leaders on developing bilateral trade relations and properly handling trade problems." "China expresses great regret and strong dissatisfaction at the decision of the United States to file WTO cases against China over intellectual property rights and access to the Chinese publication market," Mr. Wang said. The good news is that along with the Chinese trade issues, Capitol Hill is talking about the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act again and discussing the online gambling dispute with Antigua. The Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, Barney Frank of Massachusetts has called UIGEA the "stupidest law ever passed". Frank is looking into introducing legislation with the help of Southern Nevada Congresswoman, Shelley Berkley to reverse UIGEA this month. Offshore gambling firms have long contested that Washington's stance is simply protectionism. The WTO agreed and stated the United States could only block such websites if its laws were equally applied to domestic firms that offer other forms of online gambling such as remote betting on horse racing. How can the USA be known as the "Land of the Free" if we are not allowed to gamble online in the privacy of our own home? Frist and Kyl’s efforts to take away freedoms in the name of morality have helped to continue to damage the credibility of the United States at the WTO. Point-Spreads.com is sure the founding fathers of the United States of America are rolling over in their graves right now.                        |
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| Last Updated ( Tuesday, 10 April 2007 ) | |||||||