Side Note, from the Straight Times:
...Mr Jean-Marie Metzger, who heads the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development's trade directorate, agreed it was poor countries that would suffer most from a failure to cut tariffs and open markets.

Under conservative assumptions, developing countries would earn from trade liberalisation more than twice what they received every year in official development aid, with trade facilitation accounting for a third of the gains, he said.

...Metzger dislikes the regional trading because he thinks small countries may be out muscled. i don't see how if its china/india vs. the EU. he may have a point, i'm not sure. i hope that the doha round ends in success...this article seems to be saying that there is no hope. i disagree.

We all agree on one thing: the poor lose in this scenario where there is no agreement on trade. so why aren't the ignorant anti-globalization protesters upset?


Advocacy groups, who spent much of the meeting working with developing nations to make sure their voices were heard, sang and danced in the hallways of the conference center as the talks collapsed. Many hugged one another.

"Our world is not for sale, my friend, just to keep you satisfied," they sang to the tune of the Beatles' "Can't Buy Me Love." "You say you'll bring us health and wealth, well we know that you just lied."

These people are about as ignorant of world trade as you can get. Good work guys, the press loves a good song and dance. Africa won't eat, the west won't trade, asia will go hungry, but at least these idiots with nothing better to do will have a good laugh.

one question: is naomi klein present?