speak of the piratey devil..

i was just saying to Usekh last night that i haven't heard of Sforzando playing anywhere lately. Lo and behold, today i read that they're playing this Friday at the Arthouse with Mr Coffee (groovy ska band).

Only trouble is we were planning to see the Dead Things, playing at the Green Room with Catwitch, so we'll have to choose. Oh, the angst.

(The following weekend has some more gigs at the Green Room - Mach Pelican and the Sinshifters on Friday, and Vampyre-X with numerous oi-punk bands on Saturday, though i'll probably wait to see them on the 27th with Zombie Ghost Train).

Decisions, decisions..

Trojan Horsemen of the Apocalypse?

Okay, let's be honest. Like every other vaguely left-liberal wanker, i want to believe the US-Aus FTA is not written for Australia's benefit, regardless of what any Senate committee has concluded, and will sieze on any article that supports that. Nevertheless, my gut feeling says anything in the 'free trade' push is going to suit the interests of those holding the cards. This article puts a finger on what that might be:

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/08/10/1092102446841.html?from=storylhs

"The funny thing about the free trade agreement with the United States is that Australians and Americans see it as being about completely different things. Australia's businesspeople see it as about eliminating the barriers to exports and imports between the two countries, which they regard as a good thing. To the Americans, however, the deal is about something most Australian businesspeople don't take much interest in - intellectual property rights."

As i ventured on Andricongirl's journal, this makes sense.

The US obsession with intellectual property rights seems to nicely characterise the basic thrust of the 'free trade' model being pushed by the wealthier countries on the rest of the world. Intellectual property is largely an export of these richer countries, and must be controlled more tightly. Primary resources and the like, the main exports of poorer countries, have to be deregulated and opened up to 'market forces' (except when they're heavily regulated and protected industries in rich countries like the US, access to which is a reward for opening up to the 'free trade' wagon).

It doesn't take a conspiracy theorist to see whose benefit it's set up to serve (and it's worrying which side of that equation we seem to be on).

"I suspect the deal involves us giving up a fair bit of our future room to move - selling off a slice of our sovereignty - particularly in the ever more important area of intellectual property. And don't forget that, should our Government persist with actions the Americans consider contrary to the agreement, they have the right to impose sanctions on us. I have a fear the Howard Government's wonderful trade agreement with the mighty US may turn out to be a Trojan horse."