Reading Reflection Week #14

What was the biggest surprise for you in the reading? In other words, what did you read that stood out the most as different from your expectations? 

·         Although not a surprise, I did enjoy reading about the obstacles to corporate entrepreneurship and innovation. I was reading yesterday about how Amazon wants every employee to think like an entrepreneur. It is clear, when companies allow entrepreneurial behavior, employees are more engaged.  However, I would have been happier to read one of these chapters without the inclusion of global trade agreements.                                                        

Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you

·         Nothing was confusing per se in the writing of the text, just in its inclusion of some trade agreements and supposed benefits.

If you were able to ask two questions to the author, what would you ask? Why?

·         I know that there has been concern over the disparities regarding trade practices and policies and their different effects on men and women, where the difference of roles, responsibilities, rights and opportunities assigned to men and women by society. How would you tell women to be more aware of the gender differences in order to maximize the effectiveness of trade?

·         Today, Free Trade is about moving production from place to place based on the cheapest labor markets of the world. We know that it has evolved into outsourcing cheaper and cheaper labor. The main commodities are human beings who are put on the world trading block to compete with one another down to the lowest levels of wage slave and even child labor. How do we reconcile the fact when even if everyone was provided a free education and high tech skills, they are all still competing for the same jobs?

Was there anything you think the author was wrong about? Where do you disagree with what she or he said? How?

·         I do not see value in organization such as the WTO and NAFTA. I am not saying the author is wrong and I am for free trade in theory, but I oppose many of the institutions and arrangements — from the World Trade Organization to NAFTA— that promote it in practice. I believe in free trade, but most of what we have is not free trade. It is regulated, managed trade for the benefit of special interests. That is why I oppose it. In fact, I will go further. NAFTA-style trade agreements are a little bit of free trade for select special interests (i.e. agriculture exporting companies, etc.), and a little bit of protectionism for select special interests (i.e. Big Pharma and financial service industries, etc.), used as the delivery mechanism to lock in a sweeping corporate rights agenda. Free Trade is not trade as presently practiced. Today, Free Trade is about moving production from place to place based on the cheapest labor markets of the world.

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