lately we've been receiving out of the blue, unsolicited emails from something called the "competitive enterprise institute," about the law of the sea treaty or LOST. we dont really know that much about LOST, although we're not entirely unfamiliar with it since steve clemons, who seems to be for it, has been posting about it a lot lately.
according to this page from the competitive enterprise institute website:
in the cei's most recent email they inform us:About the Law of the Sea TreatyThe United Nations has gone through some tough times recently, from allegations that peacekeeping operations are chock full of waste and abuse to news headlines about U.N. mismanagement of the Iraqi Oil-for-Food program. Its image battered, the U.N. is now turning to the United States Senate to deliver some good news (to it, at least) by ratifying the Law of the Sea Treaty (which goes by the wonderful acronym LOST). LOST operates under the assumption that any minerals in the ocean floor constitute the "common heritage" of all mankind -- and therefore cannot be the property of any one individual, company, or nation.
This treaty is an affront to American national sovereignty. It would give the United Nations authority over much of the world's oceans, including the power to regulate and tax deep-sea mining, and redistribute the proceeds to Third World governments. Moreover, its "hortatory language" provisions are a loaded weapon that activist trial lawyers could easily wield to force the U.S. to adopt laws that the American people's elected representatives otherwise would not.
although the competitive enterprise institute's myron ebell rudely doesnt mention him, 2008 republican presidential candidate ron paul, is also opposed to the law of the sea treaty, writing back in 2004 against it rep. paul called it "dangerous and foolish."Senate Foreign Relations Committee sends Law of the Sea Treaty to the Senate floorThis morning, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted 17-4 to send the Law of the Sea Treaty to the Senate floor for ratification. The result was expected — though still disappointing — so now the real fight begins. The vote count was as follows:
Yes votes
Joseph Biden (D-Del.)
Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.)
John Kerry (D-Mass.)
Russell Feingold (D-Wisc.)
Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.)
Bill Nelson (D-Fla.)
Barack Obama (D-Ill.)
Robert Menendez (D-N.J.)
Benjamin Cardin (D-Md.)
Robert Casey (D-Pa.)
Jim Webb (D-Va.)
Richard Lugar (R-Ind.)
Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.)
Bob Corker (R-Tenn.)
John Sununu (R-N.H.)
George Voinovich (R-OH)
Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
No votes
Norm Coleman (R-Minn.)
Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.)
David Vitter (R-La.)
Jim DeMint (R-S.C.)
CEI Director of Energy and Global Warming Policy Myron Ebell said:
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee vote in favor of ratifying the Law of the Sea Treaty is disappointing, but grassroots opposition is still building against the treaty. The strong statements against LOST in recent days by Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, and Mike Huckabee are an indication that their campaigns have already felt this movement against the treaty. The opposition of the Senate’s Republican leadership is another good indication. If Majority Leader Harry Reid brings LOST to the floor for a vote, it is going to be a real fight.
click the link to read more about the law of the sea treaty from the cei website.
