Christine Ahn's Five Myths

Christine Ahn prepared the leaflet Debunking Five Myths aboutthe Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (Korus FTA) for the progressive/left, Oakland Institute.

The five myths:

• Myth 1: The Korus FTA will lower the skyrocketing $763 billion U.S. trade deficit; Fact: The Korus FTA will lead to more Korean imports and layoffs in the U.S.
• Myth 2: The Korus FTA will raise wages and working conditions for workers; Fact: The Korus FTA will worsen wages and the rights of all workers to organize
• Myth 3: The Korus FTA will help America’s family farms and level the playing field; Fact: The Korus FTA will benefit U.S. Agribusinesses and not family farmers, while driving over 200,000 Korean farmers off the land
• Myth 4: Free trade strengthens environmental, health and public interest laws; Fact: Public interest laws are viewed as barriers to trade
• Myth 5: The Korus FTA promotes and strengthens democracy and freedom; Fact: The Korus FTA has rolled back South Korea’s fragile democracy

Ahn has written a short essay - about the length of newspaper op-ed - for each of the myths she identifies in this six page leaflet.  Ahn, a Fellow at the Oakland Institute, is described as a "rising star" of the anti-globalization movement, in this interview: The Crusade of Christine Ahn (Hema Shenoi, jademagazine.com, 2004)