An insult to those who fight for unions

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/letters/articles/2008/04/15/an_insult_to_those_who_fight_for_unions/

April 15, 2008

THE OPINION piece by Edward Schumacher-Matos is an insult to everyone who believes unions are an essential component of free and democratic societies. His assertion that opponents of the Colombia trade deal are inflating the number of unionists killed in Colombia is an outrage.
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He writes, "The murder of even one unionist is deplorable." It's also reason enough for members of Congress to oppose the Colombia trade pact.

RICHARD M. ROGERS, Executive secretary-treasurer
Greater Boston Labor Council, Boston

[notesdev]

1. Isn't it clear by now

That "free trade" pacts are bad for the United States? They may as well call them "job transfer" pacts.

The only country I am willing to have the US in free trade with is Canada, and only then because they are so similar in culture and so intertwined in our economy that there's little practical difference between an American and a Canadian. I could be persuaded to hold a similar position with respect to Japan as well.

But "what's good for them is good for us" theory doesn't work with respect to nations who don't share our economic culture (e.g. Japan shares our economic culture even though it has a different social culture) and standard of living. In those cases, "free trade" pacts are wholesale shipping of production to places that need not care about the niceties of labor protection (or even basic human rights).

On principle, a 5% tariff across the board on all goods or services rendered across our national borders would afford the basic level of protection against global competition that new industry needs to get going and to provide jobs for Americans. We SHOULD value doing business with an American 5% more than business with a foreigner, if for no other reason than the national security afforded by a healthy production base.

[DainBramaged]

2. He (or she) who endorses free trade with Columbia loses their seat

It's that simple. We work against them to get them out of government.