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The reason why the WTO slips so easily into apparent self-mockery is that the WTO has little commitment to free trade as a human right. The WTO takes some account of the rights of private individuals, but only their procedural rights. Thus, when the WTO authorized Canada and the United States to retaliate against the EC by raising tariffs on agricultural products from Europe, the WTO as an institution did not seem to care that frustrated American consumer would be injured （in addition to the frustrated European farmers）. An international organization will have a difficult time promoting free trade unless it is interested in the traders themselves.

The main idea of the paragraph

The idea the WTO upholds is trade reciprocity and the gradual liberalization of trade through a negotiated reduction of trade barriers. In another word, the WTO does not really view free trade as a universal goal.

世贸组织所支持的观念是贸易互惠和通过谈判削减贸易壁垒来逐渐实现贸易的自由化，换句话说，世贸组织并不真正地把自由贸易视为普遍的目标。

词语解释

for that matter

used to say that what you are saying about one thing is also true about something else 而且，e.g.

　　1）She had a good many goddaughters and godsons, for that matter.她有很多教女，除此之外，还有许多教子。

　　2）Smith's never been to Spain, or to any European country for that matter.史密斯从未去过西班牙，或者说没有去过任何欧洲国家。

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