Sanders: Unfettered free trade is ruining middle class

[idlisambar]

From Rep. Bernie Sanders (VT)...


President George W. Bush has said, "There's a trade deficit. That's easy to resolve: People can buy more United States products if they're worried about the trade deficit."

President Bush's remark shows he's just as out of touch with the economic reality most Americans face. Apparently, the president hasn't visited a shopping mall or Wal-Mart lately. If he had, like the millions of Americans who flocked to our nation's stores this holiday season to buy toys, bicycles, computers, sneakers, clothes, telephones, cowboy boots (yes, Mr. President cowboy boots!), even artificial Christmas trees and decorations, he would surely know that an overwhelming majority of these products were made overseas, mostly in China.

...
...

Amazingly, while the U.S. middle class declines, corporate America is helping make China the economic superpower of the 21st century. Not only is China rapidly becoming the manufacturing center of the world, it is quickly becoming the information technology hub as well. Andy Grove, the founder of Intel, predicted last year that the United States will lose the bulk of its information technology jobs to China and India over the next decade. These are some of the best paying jobs available.

John Chambers, the CEO of Cisco, was typical of many corporate leaders when he said: "China will become the IT center of the world, and we can have a healthy discussion about whether that's in 2020 or 2040. What we're trying to do is outline an entire strategy of becoming a Chinese company."




http://www.timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050127/NEWS/501270357/1024

[LSparkle]

1. Corporate America isn't patriotic

They pledge allegiance only to the Almighty Dollar -- make that Euro. At the same time that this WH wages nationalistic wars and belittles the U.N., their backers betray that they are the ultimate globalists -- willingly sending their investment money overseas without regard for how that may affect their own country. Robert Reich calls it "trickle-out economics." Treasonous if you ask me.

[TheFarseer]

2. This isn't your father's trade deficit

In the 80's the problem could have been greatly helped by buying American, but now our corporations are so intertwined with foreign labor and ownership and so on, that simply buying from an American company isn't going to do anything.

[JDPriestly]

3. This is shameful.

George Washington would turn over in his grave. He proudly wore only clothes made in America at his inauguration. At the time, many items were imported from England.

The suit George W. Bush wore at his 2004 inauguration may have been tailored in the U.S., but where was the fabric produced? And how about the other things he wore -- down to his shoelaces? How much of it was made in the U.S.A.? Probably not much.

Tragically, we are no longer economically self-sufficient. And, our dependency on third world countries for ordinary items is weakening us. Soon, we will be unable to stand up for ourselves or fool ourselves into thinking we are somehow strong and independent. It started with our oil dependency and has extended to the shoes we wear and the food we eat. So-called "free trade" will be the downfall of our nation, and both Democrats and Republicans are to blame.