Republicans should refuse to reauthorize the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which provides preferential trade to several African countries, because of South Africa's actions in supporting murderous regimes and terrorists against the West.
The latest example is South Africa's decision to prosecute Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague for its brave response to Palestinian Hamas terrorists who killed 1,200 people in an unprovoked attack on October 7. be.
The South African government has also hosted representatives of Hamas during the conflict. They justify extremist Islamic terrorism and abuse international institutions like the ICJ in the hope that it will stop the war and allow Hamas to survive unscathed.
South Africa has a fundamentally different approach to international law when it comes to other countries that actually commit genocide.
In 2016, South Africa attempted to: draw out When then Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir visited Sudan, he did not arrest him and instead filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC).Mr. al-Bashir was facing a Darfur warrant. GenocideHundreds of thousands of innocent Muslim civilians were killed in this incident, and millions more were forced to flee their homes.
Last year, South Africa again threatened to withdraw from the ICC over Russian President Vladimir Putin's arrest warrant for crimes against civilians in Ukraine. South Africa has vowed not to arrest President Putin if he visits the country for the BRICS summit. In the end, President Putin participated remotely. But South Africa's ambivalent attitude toward Russia's invasion of Ukraine was already raising eyebrows in Washington after South African President Cyril Ramaphosa ushered much of Africa into a neutral position.
And for decades, the South African government sheltered Zimbabwe from the brutal tyranny of President Robert Mugabe, who forced white farmers off their land and left millions of Zimbabweans starving. South Africa also threatens its own white farmers.
But South Africa has always benefited from AGOA. I allow it Some African countries export goods to the United States duty-free.
AGOA is controversial because it not only undermines U.S. manufacturing but also allows Chinese companies based in Africa to benefit from the law's provisions.
Yet, AGOA has always been reauthorized under the argument that even exploitative Chinese investments benefit African workers and help Africa's industrial development.
AGOA is set to expire in 2025, but some Democrats in Congress are seeking not only its renewal, but also its extension through 2041. Reuters recently reported that African countries are probably nervous about the protectionist policies that followed the Republican victory in the US elections. I want it in 2024 10 years Extension of AGOA.
president joe biden wish Reauthorizing AGOA would require convincing the Republican-led House of Representatives to ignore South Africa's actions on the international stage.
Republicans pay little attention to AGOA. But many Republicans, especially those close to President Donald Trump, are more skeptical of international trade deals than they used to be.
President Trump has argued that U.S. trading partners should only enjoy access to the U.S. economy if they respect other U.S. interests. For example, in its dealings with Mexico, it used trade as leverage to pressure the Mexican government to begin patrolling its southern border to prevent migrant caravans from reaching the United States.
AGOA is no exception. There will always be consequences for acting against America's interests, values, and allies.
South Africa can no longer enjoy free riding on the backs of American workers while pursuing radical policies that favor dictators and punish democracy. And if AGOA is reauthorized, like Biden, South Africa should be kicked out of AGOA. recently It did the same with other African countries that ignored human rights.
If South African workers are suffering, perhaps they should stop re-electing the same government.
Joel B. Pollack is a senior editor at Breitbart News. Breitbart News Sunday Sunday nights from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM ET (4:00 PM to 7:00 PM PT) on Sirius XM Patriot. He published his 2021 e-book “The Zionist conspiracy (and how to join it)' has been updated and a new preface has been added. He is also the author of a recently published e-book. Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 US Presidential Election. He is the recipient of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter @joelpolak.
