the role of the WTO
...positive impact on restraining those who would turn the WTO into an economic sanctions-granting version of the United Nations, and consensus keeps the membership focused on the serious business of trade. Expertise and the recognition of the limits of the areas of expertise is another limiting force on the WTO. The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade was also limited in addressing many areas of the global economy or addressed them only on a piecemeal basis. The old version of the GATT created limited, la carte agreements on government procurement and subsidies and engaged only a limited number of parties. The WTO has improved upon the GATT regime and now addresses agriculture, investment, services, and intellectual property. Not bad for only 50 years of work. The WTO is not like the old Ed Sullivan Show. It does not have an act to please every audience. Since its inception, efforts have been made to hijack the train of trade in the name of the environment,labor, global ethics, and sovereignty. Why are these new trade-comelatelies coming to the WTO to pursue their agenda? For the same reason Willie Sutton robbed banks: ’cause that’s where the money is. If these ‘‘trade terrorists’’ cannot gain control at the WTO, they would just as soon destroy it. The protests and massive disruptions of traffic in Seattle illustrated that these demonstrators are more interested in press coverage than m...