It never ceases to amaze me how the promoters of so-called “free trade” just keep shoveling out lies and half-truths to keep promoting an ideology that has clearly failed–if you assess failure, as I do so naively, based on how much trade agreements help people.

And the bullshit generation is in full tilt as the idealogues try to breathe life into the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA)–a deal which also covers the Dominican Republic. CAFTA is in trouble, partly because some Republicans don’t like it. It might not even be brought to a vote because the votes aren’t there yet to pass it.

So, the proponents of CAFTA are cranking up the promises. Take agriculture. Just as they did with NAFTA, the supporters of CAFTA predict great benefits to the U.S. agricultural sector. But, whoa, just a minute: what happened exactly to the agricultural promises of NAFTA?

Well, the good folks at the Economic Policy Institute looked at the issue, concluding, “In the wake of NAFTA, farmers, ranchers, and food producers have suffered stagnant or rapidly worsening trade flows, falling prices and revenues, declining incomes, and a long string of failed promises. These agriculture producers have been caught in a tangled web of political intrigue and international trade disputes that have had a largely negative effect on U.S. trade.”

EPI concludes that people should be very skeptical about the current claims being made that CAFTA will benefit farmers here. I’m not against good trade policies but when they are based on lies, and built on a foundation of helping large corporations, who needs ’em?