Panderers and Manipulators
Who does today’s Republican Party represent? They give Big Business massive tax cuts while stiffing the working guy. And their Dear Leader announces devastating tariffs on imported steel and aluminum – just as Big Labor...
Tagged: free trade
The America-First Fallacy
The right-wing propaganda machine has suddenly discovered the evils of globalization, and the Republicans are closing ranks around the isolationist promises that helped win Trump the presidency. The concept is nonsensical, of course. America’s wealth...
In an Alternate Reality
As the late Republican strategist Lee Atwater observed, perception is reality. Not always, of course, but often enough to make it worth remembering. I’m sure Donald Trump remembers it. His modus operandi seems...
The Trump Manifesto
Donald trump got serious yesterday, prescribing a hardline trade policy and backing it up with references to precise passages in various agreements. It was his most dangerous campaign speech yet. What he promised is...
We the… Problem?
In a recent discussion on trade agreements, a Bloomberg TV panel summed up America’s free-trade dilemma this way: Consumers want the cheap goods they get from trade agreements but voters don’t want to pay for the...
Tricks of the Trade (Deals)
I shudder when I say this, but I agree with Donald Trump on something. American workers were sold out by their government. And not just by Republicans, as you might expect, but also...
Is the Grass Really Greener?
What does the incredibly popular Ashley Madison web site (only three zip codes in all of America have no residents on the site) have in common with the Trans Pacific Trade Partnership? I suggest...
Who is to Blame for the Bangladesh Tragedy?
When you crowd 1,500 workers into a sweatshop with too few exits, setting them up behind jerry-rigged sewing machines amid a cloud of fabric dust (photo above, right), you shouldn’t be surprised if a...
The Puzzling Logic of America’s Debate on Taxes
I don’t hear anyone claiming that there is no need for taxes. Everyone agrees that countries must have revenue. Someone has to pay for the roads and schools and so on. But nobody likes...
Neither Party is Leading the U.S. to Prosperity
I voted for Barack Obama in 2008. And I’ll vote for him again in 2012. But that doesn’t mean I agree with everything he does. Far from it. I am an Independent who usually...