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1999年12月，西雅图的街道被40 000名抗议者封锁了。这些激进分子试图关闭在这个城市举行的世界贸易组织会议。他们宣称的抗议是针对如失业、产业受到外国竞争对手的攻击和非熟练工人的工资率的下行压力这些问题。同时,世贸组织的会议议程是消除跨境投资和贸易壁垒。在这方面是全球化的完美的体现以及抗议者的一个完美的目标。在某种程度上这个示威游行变成了抗议者和西雅图的警察部门之间暴力的战斗。世贸组织会议失败了,尽管暴力抗议者与这场失误无关,但是他们仍感到鼓舞,并且决心复制这个“成功”。

此后几乎每一个主要的全球机构会议都成为了一个公众集会和示威的目标。

尽管少数暴力者给了这种运动一个坏名声，但是它的相关性不应被低估。从示威活动的规模来看，显而易见, 现在许多国家大部分的人口对全球化和自由贸易的概念不信任。

Free trade and free trade agreements

1) Einleitung

In December of 1999 Seattle’s streets were blocked by over 40 000 protestors. Those activists attempted to shut down the World Trade Organization meeting which took place in the city. The proclaimed critique was aimed at issues such as job losses, industries under attack from foreign competitors and downward pressure on the wage rates of unskilled workers. Meanwhile the WTO’s meeting agenda was to eliminate barriers to cross border investment and trade. In that respect it was the perfect embodiment of globalization and a perfect target to the protestors. At some point the demonstration turned into a violent battle between the protesters and Seattle’s police department. The WTO meeting failed and even though the violent protesters had nothing to do with that miscue, they felt emboldened and determined to repeat that “success”.

Since then almost every major meeting of a global institution was a target of a public demonstration.

Even though the violent minority gives the movement a bad name its relevance should not be underestimated. From the scale of the demonstrations it becomes obvious that large sections of the population in many countries are mistrustful towards globalisation and its concepts of free trade. The popular and frequently discussed question seems to be:

How fair is free trade and are the protestor’s accusations a sheer misconception? [1]

Firstly let’s clarify the term free trade itself. Quoting the Oxford Dictionary, free trade is defined as international trade left to its natural course. It indicates the absence of tariffs, duties, subsidies and quotas. [2] It comprises the ability to trade services without barriers or taxes, free access to trading markets and market information as well as free movement of labor and capital within or between countries and trade areas. The broad process leading to free trade, is called trade liberalisation, which is being pursued by Western governments as well as the WTO, the World Bank, and the IMF through free trade agreements.

Free trade agreements lead to faster and more business activity between countries or areas, which should benefit all included parties. So if one visits any city in Canada, an American Wal Mart is always a part of it. Their cheap prices have brought down the cost of living. These low prices are made possible by the North American Free Trade Agreement as well as the 300% increase in Mexico’s exports since the FTA was there established. [3] But critics of free trade accuse richer countries inside the free trade organisations that they are using a playing field, which means that poorer countries have worse chances in competing with others inside playing field.

2 Theorie

Todays economic system is commonly seen as being “free ” or “globalised” but lets have a look at the theory at