NAFTA Has Been A Disaster For Democrats. Hartmann Said It On His Program. Sadly True.

[TheMastersNemesis]

I know the second that Clinton embraced NAFTA and pushed Democrats to vote for it. It would have died otherwise. To side with Gingrich who later impeached him Clinton made the dumbest mistake one could imagine. The fact that Hillary supported it and th kind of free trade that resulted played an important role in her loss. The Democrats have been struggling for control ever since.

During my remaining years at DOL I could see the consequences of that decision. Factories were closing nationwide then but NAFTA was like putting gasoline to the fire. And most of the factories that closed were in the middle of the country. And many of them had supplied a living wage for several generations. We still needed to save some basic industry.

[Hoyt]

1. Disagree. Trade has been good for America and the world. As you said, factories were

closing before NAFTA.

In any event, we will be paying for trump’s “America First, Screw the Rest of the World” approach to trade for some time.

[sandensea]

2. Absolutely.

One of the GOP's master strokes, was to pin the blame for the whole enchilada - if you'll excuse the metaphor - on Bill Clinton.

When it was Poppy Bush who proposed it, negotiated it, and concluded it.

Clinton merely signed the damned thing. He did support it - but that would have been a moot point had Old Man Bush just managed to sign it in '92, as he intended.

[Power 2 the People]

3. Very thoughtful post.

The realities of that decision has been devastating to unions and the working class. Let's hope we can turn it around when we take the White House in 2020.

[PSPS]

4. LOL. "Thom" Hartmann. LOL. DU's favorite charlatan who gets paid in rubles.