Sunday readings: 6 July 2008

Casa Xochiquetzel

Guanabee posts videos (and a link for donations) to Mexico City’s most famous retirement home:

Remember Casa Xochiquetzal, the retirement home for prostitutes in Mexico City? … Once again, Mexico City leads the way in progressive sexual politics and we for one are thoroughly impressed that a place like this exists. In the first video, we meet Canela (pictured here), a 75 year-old sex worker who’s been retired for four years and now sells candles, Paola, aged 60 who still works and says she occasionally gets some young clients. “Son ricos!” Last, we meet Reynita who won’t tell her age, but looks about 90 and sings like an angel.

Speaking of old folks… One  bad idea deserves another:

John McCain is trying to sell the same “Free trade” agreement that destroyed Mexican agriculture to Colombia… with probably the same results, according to Michael Collier of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs:

While free trade has the potential to bolster Colombia’s economy and strengthen bilateral ties, it can be argued that the current CTPA would mainly help U.S. agribusiness at the expense of Colombia’s working class and its own agricultural sector. The present respite in the Congressional debate offers the perfect opportunity for the U.S. to take steps to ensure a trade deal that addresses these contentious issues prompted by the trade measures.

Laura Carlsen reflects on her old job with Mexico Business, back when NAFTA was just a pup (Counterpunch)

…In the face of predictions of massive job loss, they blithely assumed that the market and high growth rates would work it all out. For U.S. businesses in Mexico, the greater mobility of capital and investor incentives in NAFTA presented a bright new day with nary a cloud in sight.

Meanwhile, small farmers organizations couldn’t believe they were being asked to compete with subsidized products from the world’s largest exporter. Independent unions thought the trade-off between more maquiladora jobs, and downward pressure on wages and job security due to international competition between workers was sure to be a bum deal in the long term.

Mexican trade activists decided on a two-part strategy: 1) demand information on the negotiations and 2) call the Canadians….

But… how much can Latin America “grow” anyway?

Eduardo Gudnyas, on the IRC-Americas website, writes on the Limits of economic Growth in Latin America:

A good number of the political actors think themselves to be immune to …ecological limits. Indeed they feel that their moment in history is upon them and that, furthermore, they should take advantage of the high international prices in order to feed economic growth in their countries. The hypnotic effect of this material growth, of the appropriation of nature to nourish financial flows that nurture a consumer society, is so intense that time and time again evidence of the effect of growth on ecological limits is rejected.