Remember why those folks in Seattle were so mad at the WTO? Well, one of the big reasons was that local laws in developing countries (on issues such as environmental protection, labor standards, and cultural values) were at risk of being struck down as "barriers to trade." Trade is trade, said the U.S., and trade comes first, and countries just need to shut up and deal.
Well, oh how the tables have turned. A WTO panel ruled on Wednesday that the U.S. ban on online gambling is an illegal trade barrier. Outraged U.S. lawmakers have already promised to appeal. Surprise, surprise, the ideology that free trade trumps restrictive local values turns out to be much less appealing when the U.S. interests are aligned with "local values" instead of "free trade."