free trade vs new jobs - the Dem message vs GOP's all's well

[papau]

Washington Post's E.J. Dionne: Edwards has a new message and it is a "warning to free-traders: Guys, you'd better wake up. There's rebellion in the country, a justified revolt by workers who cannot understand why the economic recovery has produced so few new jobs."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A38175-2004Feb12.html

A Voice Of Trade Rebellion By E. J. Dionne Jr.Friday, February 13, 2004; Page A27

Sen. John Edwards, who has had perfect rhetorical pitch in this year's presidential campaign, altered the opening of his stump speech this week. The change is a warning to free-traders: Guys, you'd better wake up. There's rebellion in the country, a justified revolt by workers who cannot understand why the economic recovery has produced so few new jobs.

Edwards told the tale of a father coming home from his factory job to put his daughter to bed. "He knows his night is over when he gives her a hug," Edwards said, speaking in Milwaukee Tuesday. "But tonight . . . he'll be coming home to tell her that his factory is closing, that he's about to lose his job." It's worth hearing Edwards to understand the power of this issue. He's not telling an economic story. He's offering a morality tale about a decent American hammered by the system. "It's not because he's done anything wrong," Edwards said. "He's done what he's supposed to do, he's been responsible, he's worked hard, he's raised his family." Nor is the factory closing because the company decided to stop making its product. "The problem is they're going to make it somewhere else," Edwards says. "They're going to make it somewhere outside of his community, outside of his country." Why? "They only care about profits, they have lobbyists everywhere and they own this White House." The people in charge, he says, "don't hear the other America. They don't see the face of this father who had to come home and tell his little girl that he no longer had a job."

Now, contrast Edwards's evocative language with the cold words of the new Economic Report of the President and you'll understand why even Republicans such as House Speaker Dennis Hastert are furious at President Bush's economists. "One facet of increased services trade is the increased use of offshore outsourcing in which a company relocates labor-intensive service industry functions to another country," the report says dryly, italicizing the key phrase. But not to worry. "When a good or service is produced more cheaply abroad," the president's report lectures, "it makes more sense to import it than to make or provide it domestically." Makes sense to whom?

.. Why, for example, should there be free trade in jobs and manufacturing but an absolute ban on importing prescription drugs from Canada or Australia? ... "We need to offer an expansive enough opportunity agenda to make the trade bargain worthwhile," he said. "Workers who fear for their current jobs want to hear where they can find their next one." <snip>

[e-mail]

[denverbill]

1. How can Democrats be so stupid?

If Edwards had made this issue #1 since he started campaigning, he'd have won every state.

Same with any other candidate.

We have got to end this race to the bottom.

[idlisambar]

2. Yep

...and look who we're getting as a nominee. There is a huge unrepresented constituency out there now for whom this message would resonate and we're failing to tap into it.

[Taeger]

5. House races ...

We need to take this issue into House races across the country. This is where we have the BEST chance to beat corporate money.

[Taeger]

3. If Edwards bumps this issue forward

If Edwards pushes this issue to the top of his agenda, I will work for him come Illinois primary time.

WE HAVE TO STOP FREE TRADE. THIS IS THE #1 ISSUE IN AMERICA. THIS IS THE ISSUE THAT WILL PULL VAST SWATHS OF CONSERVATIVE VOTERS TO VOTE FOR THE DEMOCRATIC TICKET!!!!!!!

[idlisambar]

6. You got it

I've come to realize that corporate globalization is the issue that drives all others. We have to find a way to wake people up, and any politician who has this consciousness deserves our support.

This is not even a partisan issue. As Kucinich said in one of the debates, repealing NAFTA is part of the Texas Republican party platform.

[zbdent]

4. I love when the Repubs say "Oh, but jobs were replaced with the

Industrial Revolution, quit your whining" or something like that.

They will not mention the fact that the country was pretty much wide open, the cities were still small enough that a lot of people living in them could tend a small garden.

And most of the country was farming. You grew your own food, traded for or bought what you couldn't get.

The Industrial Revolution made it easier for farmers to plow their fields and gather their crops.

Now, everybody goes plowing through the supermarkets.

[Taeger]

7. Growing American sector ...

Yes, American Agribusiness IS growing as part of globalization. And who gets THOSE jobs ... ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS!!!!!!

Ten years ago, they told us we would be an "information economy". Now those information workers (myself included) are getting bumped on their ass in favor of Indian replacements.

The only real issue here is the ability of workers to negotiate for a fair share of the capital they produce. People in 3rd world nations DON'T HAVE that ability. The IMF has made DAMN SURE OF IT!!!!!

End NAFTA and WTO. They are the Devil's councils. They are global Babylon.