Liberalism and Political Economy
The North American Free Trade Agreement allows for much interpretation and debate, especially in terms of its effect on the economy and the people of Mexico. There are three perspectives in which NAFTA is most commonly viewed through. These are the revolutionary, the liberal, and the political economy world views. For many who hold the revolutionary world view, NAFTA represents a form of neo-colonialism that allows powerful multinational corporations to control the political, economic, and social elements of a foreign society. In the eyes of a revolutionist, this is the direct result of the highly competitive and greed-ridden nature of capitalism. The revolutionary world view is concerned primarily with the well-being of society, and finds the free trade principles associated with NAFTA to be particularly disturbing. It is because of this that these individuals are dismayed as multinational corporations establish free trade zones. To a revolutionary, free trade zones mean impecunious workers, the destruction of nature in its purest form, and unsettling crimes against human rights. The Zapatistas are an example of a revolutionary viewpoint. The Zapatistas are a group of people in Mexico who grew tired of centuries of
Liberalism and political economy present the most opposing views, with revolutionaries somewhat in the background of this large debate. Revolutionaries have much to share in their viewpoint with people who hold a political economy world view when it comes to issues of free trade like the North American Free Trade Agreement. It appears that because the least amount of governmental restrictions are beneficial, NAFTA's deregulations could also be beneficial. Individuals who see through the eyes of this world view worry about the global changes brought about by NAFTA. For example, the political economy world view fears that state power is being undermined by the growing influence of multinational corporations. NAFTA will continue to grow and spread its wings throughout the world, especially with the upcoming meetings for an agreement similar to NAFTA called the Free Trade Area Of the Americas or the FTAA. Roberta Cohen in Masses In Flight would agree that in terms of economic liberalism, most economic interests are viewed as mutual interests. The fundamental concerns of a political economy world view revolve around societal order and the preservation of the masses as is expressed in Beyond Eurocentrism. NAFTA ensures protection of private businesses and individuals through free trade and government deregulations. The liberalist world view is that governments should regulate markets to help them function more efficiently. Buchanan has said that any involvement by the United States in global free trade should be judged by whether it increases the standard of living of workers in the United States, and the workers of the world. On the other hand, a liberalist world view would support the idea of an agreement such as NAFTA. The North American Free Trade Agreement works to lower tariffs and to eventually spread its ideals throughout the entire hemisphere. They seem to recognize that the way in which the agreement was implemented was not ideal.
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Acceptance Essays
