Who's better on "free trade" - Dean or Clark?

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

Dean originally supported NAFTA, and when he ran for president he gave an interview saying he wanted to add labor and environmental protections. Clark gave an interview supporting NAFTA, but also wanted to add labor and environmental protections.

Dean took a nasty attack from Lieberman on live TV for his stand on trade - good for Dean, my estimation of his policy was greatly enhanced. If Lieberman attacks you for your policy, you probably have the right one. Clark knows his economics, but they tend to teach strict market fundamentalism in schools, and Clark won't be able to spin a pro-corporate trade policy any better than the others.

I want Kucinich's bilateral trade agreements, and to leave the WTO. Who do you think is closer to Kucinich's view on trade, Dean or Clark?

[LWolf]

1. Dennis.

Sorry, I couldn't resist. It looks like the Dean/Clark people are too busy battling for the moment to get to your question. I hope they'll check in, because I'm interested.

Who's best on trade? Dennis Kucinich.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

2. Gephardt's second only to Kucinich

He's been the traditional leader since the beginning.

[Renew Deal]

10. Kucinich is best on trade if...

you don't want any trade. There aren't any countries that can afford to take on all our policies which is what he wants. Also, leaving the WTO and other world markets takes us out of the global picture. Not good.

[Rose Siding]

3. I know you are looking for something specific

and I think Dean continues to refine his position on the issue.

But I'd like to emphasize that righting the system our trade is based on is intrinsic to his campaign. See this excerpt of Dean's announcement speech. He nails here, imo, so much of what is at risk in our whole system of govt, trade being a key element:



I believed that, by running for President, I could raise the issues of health care for every American and the need to focus on early childhood development. I wanted to bring those issues to the forefront of the national debate. And I wanted to balance the budget to bring financial stability and jobs back to America.

Most importantly, I have wanted my party to stand up for what we believe in again.

But something changed along the way as I listened to Americans around this country. On my first trip to Iowa I heard people speak of a profound fear and distrust of multi-national corporations. From New Hampshire to Texas I met Americans doubting the words of our leaders and our government in Washington. Every where I go people are asking fundamental questions: Who can we trust? Is the media reporting the truth? What is happening to our country?

The Americans I have met love their country. They believe deeply in its promise, our values and our principles. But they know something is wrong and they want to take action. They want to do something to right our path. But they feel Washington isn't listening. And as individuals, they lack the power to change the course those in Washington have put us on.

What they know is that somehow 7 trillion dollars of our country's wealth disappeared. Nearly 1 in 10 retired people have had to return to the workforce because they have lost their pensions. Young people are returning to live at home after graduating because they cannot find work.

Companies are leaving the country to avoid paying taxes, or to avoid paying people livable wages. And corporations are doing this with the support of the government and a political process in Washington that they rent -- if not own.

This was the fear that James Madison and Thomas Jefferson spoke of -- the fear that economic power would one day try to seize political power.

http://www.deanforamerica.com/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=6455&security=1&news_iv_ctrl=1321

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

4. Dean mentioned corporations in his announcement speech?

Nice move.

"On my first trip to Iowa I heard people speak of a profound fear and distrust of multi-national corporations."

[Renew Deal]

12. Dean refines his position???

Is that the same as a clarification? Sounds like more Waffle Powered Howard.

Couldn't resist, I am too fire up.

[HereSince1628]

5. I'd like to know, too

I was looking for information on trade issues on Friday and ran across this site www.tradealert.org

Global trade is ok with me if we are exchanging products, but I don't like the balance that is built on importing goods and exporting factories.

[Armstead]

6. Dean seems at least more open minded

I think he's waffled a bit too much on trade -- but maybe that means he's thinking out loud, which is not necessarily a bad thing. This issue has been ignored for far too long.

Clark seems too much a prisoner of the centrist Democrat mentality that accepts that the corporate "free trade" scam is the same as honest policies to promote trade.

Dennis K and Gephardt are the only ones who are really telling the truth aboout it, because they've been involved on the right side of the issue for a long time.

[SEAburb]

7. So if Lieberman attacks someones policy, that policy has to be a good

one. No need to look closer at the issue to determine who is correct.

Kucinich's arrogant unilateral approach to world trade is just a continuation of a failed Bush policy. Kucinich's go it alone approach will further isolate the US and alienate the rest of the world.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

8. that was a joke

Kucinich doesn't have an arrogant unilateral approach, he supports BILATERAL trade agreements, the opposite of unilateral. Bush is pro-Nafta, pro-WTO, and pro-corporate trade, so please spare us that silly tirade :)

[SEAburb]

11. Bush-Kyoto=Kucinich-WTO

In a time when we need to mend relationships with other countries, Kucinich says we can't work with the rest of the world.

[hippywife]

13. Not the same at all

NAFTA and the WTO have been the most damaging treaties in the world. They bring much harm to the indigenous peoples of an area and allow large corporations to win at the expense of the people whether they are permitted to operate in an area or not.

http://www.citizen.org/trade/nafta/

Kucinich supports bi-lateral trade agreements. Agreements between each and every country we trade with.

Free trade and globalization are killing the world.

[SEAburb]

18. cold war policy are what has been killing the world

Years of destablizing non-align nation and cut off access to capital.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

14. what part of working with other nations

to sign bilateral trade agreements do you not understand. Here's a hint, "bilateral" mean TWO countries make an agreement about trade.

[hippywife]

9. Free trade

is the enemy. NAFTA and the WTO take away anything the indigenous peoples of an area have fought to win for themselves. It throws them back into poverty. Why would the farmer who stabbed himself in the heart in Cancun been dejected enough to do that? NAFTA and the WTO take land away from the indigenous peoples...land they need for their very survival.

Kucinich's approach to withdrawal from these agreements in exchange for bi-lateral agreements is the only legal position. The WTO does not allow for reform or changes to these agreements.

[durutti]

15. Not Sure

I don't like protectionism, but I don't like neo-colonialism, either.

[w4rma]

16. Free trade lowers salaries of employees in the U.S., also.

Why hire a U.S. computer programmer, accountant, engineer, machinist, factory worker, etc. when you can hire someone in another country for 1/5 of the salary or less?

[Enraged American]

17. We need to protect domestic industry...

Why are we losing jobs? Why are we losing jobs? Because it's more profitable to set up businesses in nations with weaker currencies and re-introduce goods in the US. It sickens me that these traitorous corporations are given tax breaks when they are putting Americans out of work.

We need to rebuild the manufacturing sector and PROTECT AMERICAN WORKERS AT ALL COSTS goddamnit.

Kucinich and Gephardt are the only candidates who share this view. Perhaps because they come from working families themselves and are BACKED by working families, not the military + corporations like Clark and upper-middle class schnooks like Dean.

[Enraged American]

19. This will be kicked for the sake of American workers

kick