Amendment to the LGBT Trade Act (Law'd)

[MasterJedi]

Amendment to the LGBT Trade Act

The LGBT Trade Act is amended to read the following:
1. The Republic of Atlasia shall not enter into or maintain any free or fair trade agreement with any nation that criminalizes homosexual acts.
Sponsor(s):Sen. Marokai Blue, Sen. MaxQue

[DownWithTheLeft]

Why are we limiting free trade based on this?  Personally I'd love to eliminate free trade with any nation that allows abortion.  We simply cannot start deciding which issues make free trade acceptable and which make it immoral.  Free trade should be free trade with no feel good strings attached

[Purple State]

I support this carry-over from the last Senate.

Why are we limiting free trade based on this?  Personally I'd love to eliminate free trade with any nation that allows abortion.  We simply cannot start deciding which issues make free trade acceptable and which make it immoral.  Free trade should be free trade with no feel good strings attached

The purpose of this is not to limit free trade, but to spur nations with such restrictions to change their policies. Consider it our version of soft power.

[DownWithTheLeft]

What are the chances that actually works, and more importantly what makes this issue more important than say, the fact that I don't like when countries allow abortion.

Economic and social issues are seperate and should stay that way.

[Purple State]

What are the chances that actually works, and more importantly what makes this issue more important than say, the fact that I don't like when countries allow abortion.

Economic and social issues are seperate and should stay that way.

Considering we assume Atlasia has a pretty sizable economy, I imagine such exertion of soft power would be pretty useful. I would like to see a clause providing discretion to the SoEA, in case progress, but not full reform, is seen in a country.

And the only difference between this and abortion is this was proposed while yours was not.

[DownWithTheLeft]

But what makes this issue so important that we should stop fair trade because of it?  You are opening a door where I'm sure other senators will try, and possibly successfully, pass more bills saying we won't deal with countries that do (x) and (y)?

If we are going to have free trade, we should keep it seperate from social issues or we will not be free trading at all.

[HappyWarrior]

But what makes this issue so important that we should stop fair trade because of it?  You are opening a door where I'm sure other senators will try, and possibly successfully, pass more bills saying we won't deal with countries that do (x) and (y)?

If we are going to have free trade, we should keep it seperate from social issues or we will not be free trading at all.

I fixed it for you. :-)

[Hash]

This would restrict trade with the nations in orange, yellow, reddish pinkish. This would also make the current FTAs illegal:

F.L. 17-1: Atlasian-Kuwait Free Trade Act
F.L. 13-12: Atlasian-Bahrain Free Trade Act
F.L. 13-11: Atlasian-Morocco Free Trade Act
F.L. 13-10: Atlasian-Singapore Free Trade Act

and the following parts of:

F.L. 13-7: Caribbean Free Trade Act (with Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago)
F.L. 13-6: South American Free Trade Act (Guyana)

[afleitch]

Thank you Hashemite. The effect this would have on other legislation was partly the reason I refrained from pushing for this when the LGBT Trade Act was proposed.

Having said that, I think that the argument that free trade should be kept seperate from social issues is pretty flimsy. There are no justifyable financial/economic reason why any nation should criminalise homsexuality so I do not see how they can argue how in doing so it would be detrimental to their nations economy. And that is all free-traders should be concerned about.

So I think we can make a case for extending the Act.

[DownWithTheLeft]

When are we the world social police?  Like I said I am sure they find many of our practices, such as legal abortion, immoral and rightfully so.  You cannot change the mindset of a nation and their culture by cutting off free trade.  The only ones you are hurting is Atlasian businesses and the people of that nation.

[Franzl]

I support this.

[Marokai Backbeat]

When are we the world social police?  Like I said I am sure they find many of our practices, such as legal abortion, immoral and rightfully so.  You cannot change the mindset of a nation and their culture by cutting off free trade.  The only ones you are hurting is Atlasian businesses and the people of that nation.

The point of trade with other nations is not only to mutually increase prosperity, but it can also be an important tool in developing societies around the world.

I am personally one that believes social and economic issues are, on some level, inherently intertwined. We shouldn't be rewarding societies that engage ins such unwarranted, cruel, backward acts like punishing different individuals. We should be encouraging proper social development around the world, and that starts not by a race to the bottom, but by reasonable trade with strings attached.

I would prefer alot of different trade restrictions, but this is a reasonable act which shows the world we care about the protection of diversity and civil rights, and if they want to trade with a leading world economic power, they must make certain changes at some point.

[Purple State]

This would restrict trade with the nations in orange, yellow, reddish pinkish. This would also make the current FTAs illegal:

F.L. 17-1: Atlasian-Kuwait Free Trade Act
F.L. 13-12: Atlasian-Bahrain Free Trade Act
F.L. 13-11: Atlasian-Morocco Free Trade Act
F.L. 13-10: Atlasian-Singapore Free Trade Act

and the following parts of:

F.L. 13-7: Caribbean Free Trade Act (with Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago)
F.L. 13-6: South American Free Trade Act (Guyana)

My hope is that the GM will begin to alter the world based on our legislation, rather than follow the exact goings-on in the world. So he may report that some nations capitulate to us, while others do not and real current events become less meaningful.

[tmthforu94]

I approve of this bill. We should not be supporting and helping countries that do cruel acts like being cruel to homosexuals. When we support countries who permit such, it makes it look as though we support it, or are at least fine with it. It's not right, and we shouldn't give other countries any reason to think that we think it's okay to be punish homosexuals.

[MaxQue]

This would restrict trade with the nations in orange, yellow, reddish pinkish. This would also make the current FTAs illegal:

F.L. 17-1: Atlasian-Kuwait Free Trade Act
F.L. 13-12: Atlasian-Bahrain Free Trade Act
F.L. 13-11: Atlasian-Morocco Free Trade Act
F.L. 13-10: Atlasian-Singapore Free Trade Act

and the following parts of:

F.L. 13-7: Caribbean Free Trade Act (with Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago)
F.L. 13-6: South American Free Trade Act (Guyana)

F.L. 14-4: Atlasia-Malaysia Free Trade Act would be illegal too.

[MaxQue]

The only ones you are hurting is Atlasian businesses and the people of that nation.

Some Atlasian businesses have gay owners. If they go in those countries to make free trade, they could have problem, so they will have to refrain of going in those countries to do free trade. So that is free trade, but not for everybody.

[DownWithTheLeft]

The only ones you are hurting is Atlasian businesses and the people of that nation.

Some Atlasian businesses have gay owners. If they go in those countries to make free trade, they could have problem, so they will have to refrain of going in those countries to do free trade. So that is free trade, but not for everybody.

I believe only overt homosexual acts could be criminalized, I have no idea why these people would go into this countries for trade, which would be for a short period of time, and commit overt sexual acts.  That just seems plain nonsensical and like you are digging quite deep for a justification.

[Marokai Backbeat]

I am personally one that believes social and economic issues are, on some level, inherently intertwined. We shouldn't be rewarding societies that engage ins such unwarranted, cruel, backward acts like punishing different individuals. We should be encouraging proper social development around the world, and that starts not by a race to the bottom, but by reasonable trade with strings attached.

I would prefer alot of different trade restrictions, but this is a reasonable act which shows the world we care about the protection of diversity and civil rights, and if they want to trade with a leading world economic power, they must make certain changes at some point.

[Associate Justice PiT]

This would restrict trade with the nations in orange, yellow, reddish pinkish. This would also make the current FTAs illegal:

F.L. 17-1: Atlasian-Kuwait Free Trade Act
F.L. 13-12: Atlasian-Bahrain Free Trade Act
F.L. 13-11: Atlasian-Morocco Free Trade Act
F.L. 13-10: Atlasian-Singapore Free Trade Act

and the following parts of:

F.L. 13-7: Caribbean Free Trade Act (with Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago)
F.L. 13-6: South American Free Trade Act (Guyana)

F.L. 14-4: Atlasia-Malaysia Free Trade Act would be illegal too.

     That one has already been repealed.

[MaxQue]

This would restrict trade with the nations in orange, yellow, reddish pinkish. This would also make the current FTAs illegal:

F.L. 17-1: Atlasian-Kuwait Free Trade Act
F.L. 13-12: Atlasian-Bahrain Free Trade Act
F.L. 13-11: Atlasian-Morocco Free Trade Act
F.L. 13-10: Atlasian-Singapore Free Trade Act

and the following parts of:

F.L. 13-7: Caribbean Free Trade Act (with Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago)
F.L. 13-6: South American Free Trade Act (Guyana)

F.L. 14-4: Atlasia-Malaysia Free Trade Act would be illegal too.

     That one has already been repealed.

Well, Wiki is not upgraded for that.

Edit: Upgraded now.

[Hash]

Well, Wiki is not upgraded for that.

Edit: Upgraded now.

The SoEA's page was already updated with the legislation repealing it.

Anyways, I imagine this legislation would automatically render void all aforementioned legislation and we'd need to pass a new FTA if there's any change, correct?

[Purple State]

Well, Wiki is not upgraded for that.

Edit: Upgraded now.

The SoEA's page was already updated with the legislation repealing it.

Anyways, I imagine this legislation would automatically render void all aforementioned legislation and we'd need to pass a new FTA if there's any change, correct?

Not if we add the words "at the discretion of the SoEA" (offered as friendly). That would allow the SoEA to simply change our status in relations without revoking laws.

[MasterJedi]

I hereby open up a final vote on this bill. Please vote Aye, Nay or Abstain.

Nay

[Franzl]

Aye

[Hash]

Aye.

However, I am concerned about the lack of the clause "at the discretion of the SoEA"