The Truth About Free Trade Agreements (Obama's plan to "double exports")

[brentspeak]

http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_15880559

By Dave Anderson
Posted: 08/25/2010 01:00:00 AM MDT

Approval of the long-pending free trade agreement with Colombia, and two others, is promoted as part of the Obama administration's initiative to double exports in the next five years.

Even cursory evaluation of economic data and the substance of "free trade agreements" should raise grave doubt about the effectiveness of these treaties as a viable route to economic recovery.

snip

Rather, consistent with trade agreement history, expect multi-national corporations to outsource more production - increasing Colombian employment and incomes while increasing U.S. unemployment and deficits. Other objections include human rights and environmental standards, and below cost of production marketing of unregulated, subsidized agricultural commodities

snip

Neutralizing trade imbalances can provide millions of the good-paying jobs that our economy needs desperately. Doing so would reduce, no, let me argue that this could eliminate the Federal deficit as well as providing revenues to balance many state and local budgets. The annual trade deficit over the past ten years has been a drain of the same size as the Federal stimulus plan. It's true that we will trade off a something at retail to restore the economy and sustain national security. It's a small price to pay.

[OHdem10]

1. Just dig the hole deeper, I would say.

[Brickbat]

2. The same mistakes, over and over and over again.

The results are there, and there results show the lie of "free trade." It has to stop.