Dean Baker: Supporters of Trade Deals Have to Lie to Make their Case

[Willie Pep]

Dean Baker takes George Will and the Washington Post to task over trade deals like NAFTA and the TPP. I know it is becoming popular to support trade deals now because Trump is against them but they really have been bad for American workers especially those in manufacturing.

http://cepr.net/blogs/beat-the-press/supporters-of-trade-deals-like-george-will-and-the-washington-post-think-they-have-to-lie-to-make-their-case

[yallerdawg]

1. What about Obama 100% supporting trade deals for our future security?

95% of the world's consumers are outside the US. Canadians and Mexicans, too.

We can either ride the wave or drown.

[Adrahil]

2. We live in a global evonomy...

I know it is dogma to some dems that trade deals are bad. But as usual, its not that simple. There are plusses an minuses. Protectionism doesn't work. Never has. I think we have to engage in trade deals and recognize how they will impact our economy and adjust accordingly. The fact is, the future is pretty bleak for manufacturing workers. We can pretend that's not true, like Trump does for coal miners, or we can make adjustments to our jobs model that focuses on fostering jobs not so easy to export or automate.

[tirebiter]

3. Back to Smoot Hawley? Think again.

Cal Coolidge was wrong. Free trade came in with FDR.