This amendment was another case of the pot calling the kettle black and as I study more and more history, America has got to be the king at using this method of mannerisms.
Jackson/Vanik had this correct but they aimed it at the rest of the world. Jackson said, “A country that does not respect the rights of its own people will not respect the rights of its neighbors.” He was correct, but excluded America because he could not “see the trees for the forest.”
The most important road block against the repeal of the Jackson-Vanik amendment comes from very likely the most powerful lobby in the USA which is called the “Chicken Lobby.” The chicken lobby uses their clout and tells the US Congress to block Russia’s graduation from Jackson-Vanik unless it buys huge and increasing, poultry amounts. Putin knows this and recently sent a real important message. Russia does not need your damn chicken America…
Also former U.S. Secretary of State Collin Powell has a quote in the past that still fits today about the points of tension between the United States and Russia: It was about the issues between Russian barriers to American poultry imports. He said, “I am more worried about chickens going back and forth than missiles going back and forth,” he said. “This is good.””
Now that is the truth… 🙂
Windows to Russia!