Thursday, April 23, 2009

free-trade incest...


WSJ:

Free trade is a sensitive issue, particularly among labor leaders and lawmakers from manufacturing states that have seen jobs move overseas.

Its also sensitive to investors, businesses, and many professionals (Doctors come to mind)... who use an ideological term "Free-Trade" when discussing trade pacts such as NAFTA that could in no way be seen as Free-trade from a theoretical perspective.  Trade deals like NAFTA are full of protectionisms, such as copyright and patent protections.  Also we never hear a peep when it comes to work visa's.

Free trade is so sensative among these groups that they don't even speak of it... and will be confused looks when questioned on it.  Its frowned upon to speak on such unseemly topics.  Free trade is kind of like incest in a family... "we just don't talk about it."  Instead we use the term free trade to describe our protectionism... so that we can look down from our ivory tower at those workers who "just don't get it"

Posted via web from jimnichols's posterous

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