To those who are anti-free trade. Can you explain to me why?

Because the countries that are most fighting for free trade are not on the same level that we are. China does not pay, treat, or supervise their workers as we do in the US. Mexico definitely doesn't, or they wouldn't be so anxious to come to the US.

As well I think that free trade has hurt us. Since we are more "free" to deal with many other nations, some that do not care for their workers as we do, business has rushed to take their labor needs outside the US, which takes from american workers, continues the exploitation of foreign workers and proves to me that US businesses who can afford it don't give a damn about the people working for them if the price is right.

I think the idea of free trade, particularly as it was espoused when NAFTA was first introduced was a nice idea - why not help our continental neighbors? But I think that idea has bitten us in the butt. By helping our neighbors, we are suffering. I am all for helping the fellow man, but not when we are suffering in the doing of it.

Most of these other nations do not have the same egalitarion ideas about free trade that we do - wasn't that one of our Cabinet members in China some months ago basically begging for whatever scraps they were willing to throw us?

Ugh. Free trade has benefitted a great many others than the US - we are supporting a lot of others that do not do the same for us.

While free trade is almost certain to benefit those who want to do the trading, that is, the corporations, it is not necessarily beneficial to the rest of society.

For example, if corporations decide the best way for them to make a lot of money is to move high paying American jobs to China, this benefits them but not working Americans.

The corporations involved may rationalize that they are "bringing prices down. "

However I would submit that the opportunity I have to buy all the cheap Chinese made Hot Wheels cars I want at Wal Mart does not in fact make up for the loss of income I may suffer from the wage deflation that goes along with that.

Because there may be other things around here I'd like to buy even more than those Hot Wheels cars. Medical care for example. A college degree. A house. Food. Fuel. Little things like that. The prices of which are not greatly affected by all this outsourcing.

Free trade is not an unalloyed good for the citizens at large, however much of an unalloyed good it may appear to be for

prospective traders in cheap plastic toys.

The duty of the government is to look out for the interests of its citizens. Not just the interests of its corporations.

That means judicious regulation of trade where necessary.

Free trade: No government restrictions on commerce.

Look at how badly the housing market has been damaged by only "questionable practices".

Restaurants should not have to put up with health inspectors costing them extra money by requiring expensive things like refrigeration and hot water in the dish machine.

Contractors should not be required to meet building codes.

Anyone should be able to be a doctor if they can get a hospital to hire them.

Dump that toxic waste down the drain.

Grocers take pay-off from the big brands to keep the less expensive out of the store.

Banking ______________________fill in the blank.

Well if you have free trade with a country that has no environmental laws or consumer protection or labor laws or health and safety regulations, guess where all the jobs will go? I have no problem with free trade with other first world countries, but free trade with third world countries or ones who treat their environment and labor like crap is the same thing as sending needed jobs overseas to these countries and encouraging their destructive governments.

Because so-called "free trade" is a big fat lie. It can't be free trade when China pays the 12 year old girls that work in their factories 20 cents per hour. How is that free?

It's not "free trade" when our daily trade deficit with China is measured in the millions of dollars, and thousands of American jobs.

But mostly, I'm against the big lie, because I don't believe in selling America to the low bidders.

On January 1, 2008, Big rigs carrying American corn, wheat, and other basic staples began to cross over into Mexico. The taxes imposed on foreign goods into Mexico was lifted. American oil companies are being allowed to invest in the state owned Mexican oil company PEMEX. Most of the manufacturing jobs are in China and not Mexico. The United States wants to build a fence so that all of the Mexicans who are unemployed can starve on the other side of the fence. Thanks a lot NAFTA all of the great jobs are now in Mexico. No, we Mexicans are tired of looking at our loved ones faces. We will just go to the United States and look at the happy smiling faces of the Americans. Thanks soo much for NAFTA. It's not that American Labor Unions are greedy and corrupt. That has nothing to do with it. I hope people are familiar with sarcasm.

honest commerce is accomplished whilst international locations commerce with one yet another autonomously. unfastened commerce is comparable, however the shortcoming of fairness is in many cases attributed to 0.33 events like the WTO. interior the tip, the weaker international locations get exploited. difficult to charm to the line between the two so actual, yet an occasion of unfastened commerce that isn't honest is Nike. Nike company runs production flora in southeast Asian and latin American international locations. the corporate place of work pushes the administration for such unreasonable salary that the persons many times make approximately $a million.50 or much less an afternoon, that's sufficient to proceed to exist on meals yet not the rest. international locations can commerce autonomously on an identical time as nonetheless benefitting the smaller international locations by skill of installation regulations that restrict their multinational companies from violating particular policies like pay standards. there is not any choose for a nil.33 social gathering if the better government is responsible. regrettably, it quite is not the case. The WTO would not have the smaller international locations superb hobbies in strategies, the two. it quite is totally uncomfortable to think of merely how many human beings stay poor lives so as that we ought to constantly purchase products at "good" fees.

In theory free trade sounds like a good idea assuming everyone is playing by the same rules.

However many countries like china exploit workers.

How can you compete agaist coutries who have no rules regarding workers rights , minimum wages , health and safety etc.