Introduction by Ralph Nader
In this groundbreaking pamphlet, directors of Ralph Nader's Public Citizen group examine the World Trade Organization's five-year track record, demonstrating how the WTO aims to create a new global economic system that increases corporate profit with little regard for social and ecological impacts, or democratically enacted law. Lori Wallach and Michelle Sforza make clear recommendations for altering the undemocratic course that the WTO imposes on democratic society.
Director of Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch since 1995, Lori Wallach has been dubbed "Ralph Nader with a sense of humor" by the Wall Street Journal and "the trade debate’s guerrilla warrior" by the National Journal. An expert at NAFTA, the WTO, and the Fast Track Trade Promotion Authority, she is a cofounder of the Citizen’s Trade Campaign, a national coalition representing over 11 million Americans.
Born in Connecticut in 1934, RALPH NADER has spent his lifetime challenging corporations and government agencies to be more accountable to the public. His 1965 book Unsafe at Any Speed permanently altered the course of a reckless U.S. automobile industry and made Nader a household name. His lobbying and writing on the food industry helped to ensure that the food we buy is required to pass strict guidelines before reaching the consumer. One of Nader’s greatest achievements was his successful lobbying for a 1974 amendment to the Freedom of Information Act, which gave increased public access to government documents. Over the years he has co-founded the public interest groups Public Citizen, Critical Mass, Commercial Alert, and the Center for the Study of Responsive Law. His 2000 presidential campaign on the Green Party ticket served to broaden the scope of debate on the nation’s priorities. Named by the Atlantic as one of the hundred most influential figures in American history, Nader continues to be a relentless advocate for grassroots activism and democratic change. He lives in Washington, D.C.
