Don't celebrate WTO decision just yet

[CharlieMaxwell]

Find out why by reading Wild Bill's latest column located on the new RX home page at www.theprescription.com

Also don't forget you can receive in-progress scores by going to the RX home page (right nav bar about halfway down) and clicking on the red square that says "Live scores, click to activate."

It will take a few seconds to activate, but then the SportsTicker bottom line readerboard will appear and you can choose any sports you wish.

Charlie

 

[RPM]

THANKS CHARLIE!~

 

[wilheim]

I also notice that when you open up the Fourm boxes from the home page that the original (Rx. home page) box now closes.

wil.

 

[Sodium Pentethol V]

IMHo the WTO's authority is being underrated, the US will of course appeal, however anyone familiar with the 201 steel tariffs know's the US has offered relief when the WTO has ruled against.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> President Bush’s repeal on December 4, 2003, of the section 201 steel tariffs imposed in March 2002 is evidence of the effectiveness of the WTO in enforcing its rules and limiting protectionism. The dispute settlement system provided a means for the EU and other US trading partners to challenge the US tariffs, obtain a reasoned ruling, be granted the authority to impose painful sanctions in the event of non compliance, and obtain compliance by the US, all in just 21 months.

The president’s decision to repeal the tariffs came just 6 days before the WTO was scheduled to formally adopt its ruling that the tariffs were in violation of the WTO and 11 days prior to the initiation of WTO- authorized retaliation by the EU on $2.2 billion in US exports. Applauding the decision, the EU said that WTO-authorized sanctions were meant to be “tools for compliance” and as such had been designed to put the maximum pressure on the Administration by targeting exports from key electoral states. The freedom granted the EU to structure the sanctions so as to exact the maximum impact appears to be critical to their effectiveness
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

This recent ruling is a nice concrete and noteworthy step in the right direction. Antigua by default is now the safest place in the carribean to play IMHO, as letting someone stiff while this is going on, seems extremely unlikely.

 

[WildBill]

Hey SP, I wish it was true, but $2.2 billion in tariffs the EU was aiming at 4 electoral swing states is a lot different than maybe $50 million that has little aim. Maybe they will hit their Florida exporters, but I suspect tariffs will just impose too high a social cost to be fully implemented. That angle someone else mentioned on pirating stuff was interesting, but I don't think they want to become a pariah state.

 

[GLJJNOVA]

WildBill.....Please excuse my ignorance here, but what does Antigua stand to gain from this ruling? Since US leaders are not going to budge on their anti-gambling stance any time soon, what does this mean to other offshore outfits and their American customers?

Gary

 

[oldmantime]

It just means that the US is "out of the loop" as Washingtonian leaders like to say.

What I can't understand is :if the US looses it's appeal and decides to pay something to Antigua for it's lost revenue; exactly what are the long term ramifications? Just pay them each and evey year??? Wait till the American taxpayers understand this one?

 

[Sodium Pentethol V]

Bill there is no doubt that the carribean nations do not possess as much power as the EU and therefore obviously not as much wherewithal to really put the screws to anyone abt anything,

but the WTO has been granted extraordinary powers in issuing means of relief and as a whole, I have to believe that they possess anough power to make a difference, if not why would the carribean nations possibly be members of the WTO to begin with, it would be a completely one way ruling body to which they could never win.

Perhaps I am being overly optimistic, but ultimately IMHO this is a topic that if more light were shed on the realities of this situation to the common US citizen it would be of benefit to us, and if nothing else perhaps this ruling will do just that.

 

[oldmantime]

Sodiun Pent.

You have expressed the way I feel as well!!

 

[WildBill]

I don't think there is anyone here that doesn't feel pretty close to the same. The problem is that lawmakers aren't gamblers and they just like to think of us as troubled people who can't find happiness in what they would call "normal" pursuits.

The WTO really hasn't been given that extraordinary power. Did you read the link I provided in the story? They can do nothing but declare trading practices and laws to be non-competitive. They freely admit that there will be situations where solutions won't be coming. The best thing they can do is say that harmed countries can retaliate to the degree they were harmed, but that means nothing beyond just some financial cost. Antigua takes 90% of their consumer products from the US so the whole concept of a punitive tariff doesn't work well.

I knew some people that were lobbying the Costa Rican government and were told that a win with the WTO would be for such a small amount, if it happened, that they still couldn't force the US to change their gambling laws. The UK and Australia are clearly the ones that could get something of value out of this. The best thing that could happen out of this whole situation is if the UK goes forward with their complete deregulation of online gambling and then in a few years takes the same case as Antigua did. Then you just might see something of value come out of it, but then again they can't make the argument that their economy is shattered by this one attempted prohibition.

 

[oldmantime]

All I am saying is that if the US looses the appeal AND pays what they they are being asked by the WTO--that all the major networks including. 20/20 and 60 minutes etc---give this some air time as well as all the major newspapers (USA today etc) telling the American Public, that the US government just spent THEIR tax dollars to pay a foreign government becasue the US government disapproves of internet gambling.
Shed the light on the story to the Public--let all know just exactly how their tax money was spent!!!! And will continue to be spent!
On the other hand--should the US lose the appeal AND refuse to pay--let the same Networks and lines of communication tell the American Public--that the US has once again IGNORED the wishes of a world organization.

Let the people know!!!!!