Just thought I'd sneak something in about the little matter of the economy, and a message from that great American (and hopefully future Senator) Bernie Sanders.
(If you'd like to break the monotony of posts about Foleygate and National Security, please give this a response or an occasional :kick:
From Bernie's website:
http://bernie.house.gov/trade.aspFREE TRADE
The simple truth of the matter is that our current trade policy has been an absolute disaster. Unfettered free trade with China has led to the destruction of over 1.5 million American jobs. The North American Free Trade Agreement has led to the loss of over 870,000 American jobs. Over the past 4 years, we have lost 2.8 million manufacturing jobs and 1 million high technology jobs. Last year, our trade deficit was $618 billion, including a $162 billion trade deficit with China alone. This year, our trade deficit is on track to top $700 billion, and according to the National Association of Manufacturers, our trade deficit with China will more than double to $330 billion by 2008.
One of the major reasons why the middle class is shrinking, poverty is increasing, and the gap between the rich and poor is growing wider is due to our disastrous unfettered free trade policy. If the United States is to remain a major industrial power, producing real products and creating good paying jobs, we must develop trade policies that protect not just the CEOs of large corporations, but the working people of our country.
I am especially concerned about the jobs available for young people who do not go to college. Thirty years ago there were decent paying jobs with good benefits available for those people in manufacturing plants. Today, the wages for those workers have declined precipitously and they are now flipping hamburgers at McDonalds or working without health care at Wal-Mart.
As bad as that is, we should be very aware that our unfettered free trade policy is not only leading to the destruction of traditional manufacturing and blue collar jobs. It is leading to the loss of millions of high-tech, information technology jobs as well. These are the jobs, we have been told for years, that our children would be inheriting and are being educated for.
To address these concerns, I have introduced legislation to repeal Permanent Normal Trade Relations with China (H.R. 728). This bill currently has over 70 co-sponsors, including 19 Republicans. I am also supporting legislation to repeal NAFTA. I am strongly opposed to the Central American Free Trade Agreement. And, I will be re-introducing the Defending American Jobs Act to prohibit large corporations from receiving corporate welfare if they lay-off a larger percentage of American workers than workers overseas.
Let me be clear. I am an internationalist. I support fair trade. I want poor people in developing countries and throughout the world to have a higher standard of living than they do today. But, I don’t believe that we should be destroying the American middle class in the process, which is exactly what unfettered free trade is doing.
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