The WTO has ultimate power to declare laws made by member nations null and void if they believe the laws are barriers to trade. Often, laws that protect the environment and the rights of people are discarded by the WTO in the name of free trade, profit and corporate self-interest. These decisions are made behind closed doors, with heads of corporations at the table and the public outside. This was his major mistake.
Democracy is about each person having a voice and a part in the political process.
For our American democracy to work the people in power must give the common people the illusion that they are being listened to and represented. Large crowds attended the meetings in Tampa, Miami and Tallahassee. I attended the meeting in Tallahassee and spent the entire day listening to the testimonies of fellow Floridians. Many felt that 30 years wasn't enough time to restore equality of opportunity after hundreds of years of slavery, oppression and racism. Many felt that the governor's plan signaled a step back in time and a loss of the opportunities so many courageous people have fought for.