Re: Antigua Up Ante - 7 BILLION
GDP schmee DP. Everyone makes the mistake of taking such numbers as gospel. Who puts them out? Where do they come from?
There are reasons that number is not very accurate or representative.
The Sun article wasn't totally correct. Antigua's claim is for $3.4 billion per year, not total. The figure represents lost revenue as a result of US harrassment which has been significant. The online gaming industry in Antigua has been operating under attack for years. It's not about what the industry made over the period, it's about what it could have made if it had the unfettered access to the US market that the US committed to in the GATS.
As to the second part, the amount the withdrawal of the commitment is worth, do the math. If Antigua's economists are correct, then what is the value of letting the US out of that obligation for a lifetime, or just 20 years?
Antigua did not pull these numbers out of the sky. These are numbers that nationally recognized economists have come up with. Their analysis will be presented to the WTO panel, and I am sure the US will counter. The panel will decide the final figure and method of remedy. If the US wants to hang it's hat on the GDP, that's their perogative. But Antigua will demonstrate why that number is irrelevant in this matter.
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