In Trade, Too Often, the Victim is Blamed

[Omaha Steve]

http://blog.usw.org/2010/01/11/in-trade-too-often-the-victim-is-blamed/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email

Posted January 11, 2010 at 11:28 am, in From the President


Leo W. Gerard

By Leo W. Gerard
USW International President

A screwy thing happened after the United Steelworkers and eight domestic steel producers won their trade case late in December against Chinese manufacturers of the steel pipe used for oil and gas drilling.

Instead of describing it as an important victory for U.S. industry and workers, one in which they proved to the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) that China violated international trade rules, the media characterized it as Americans unnecessarily picking a fight with the Chinese.

What else is new? It’s exactly what happened in September when the United Steelworkers won tariffs in a trade case regarding imported Chinese tires.

What’s particularly disturbing about this stance from the media is that it occurs only when a trade case involves manufactured goods. The media strongly supports protections for copyrighted material – movies, music etc. The media have made clear they oppose Chinese piracy of intellectual property – you know, like the written and filmed products that media members produce.

But their reaction is completely different when the Chinese violate international rules regarding manufactured goods. Then, the media blame the victims — the U.S. industries and workers – the same way defense attorneys accuse rape victims.

Here, for example, is the Washington Post contending that the ITC decision to impose duties of between 10.4 and 15.8 percent on Chinese pipe heightened trade hostilities between the U.S. and China:

“The current tensions began in September, when the United States imposed a staggering 35 percent import fee on tires from China.”

FULL story at link.

[Omaha Steve]

1. Kick

[annabanana]

2. You are right, of course . . .

The media will not self-examine. They insist on seeing themselves as simultaneously inside and outside the corporate structure, when they are completely encrusted with it.

[HughBeaumont]

3. They support copyrights on the material, but not out of sympathy for it's originators.

Or the artist's well being. It's about worry for their bottom lines. What the media set up amounts to is protectionism of profit, free movement of risk and loss to it's artists. It's like the old line from Animal House: "They can't do that to our pledges! Only WE can do that to our pledges!"

It's simply sad beyond belief that Democratic administrations who saw the monumental damage caused by 28 years of Republican and Moderate free-trade follies are still falling for the same Republican and regressive way of conducting business.

I'm not one of those who believe they don't care. I just think this administration cannot do anything to rein in ubiquitous corporate rule. These spoiled brat wealthmongers are going to learn soon enough just how cancerous their selfish ways will end up being the bullets through their own feet.