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2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: Mr. Sanders peddles fiction on free trade [View all]basselope
(2,565 posts)22. And SOME people still say cigarettes don't cause cancer.
There have been MANY MANY analysis that show job losses HIGHER than 800K
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lori-wallach/nafta-at-20-one-million-u_b_4550207.html
Some lower in the 600K range.
Some LOVE to point to the 20 million jobs created between 1994 and 2000 as *proof* that NAFTA didn't harm anyone; however, they are completely ignoring the .com bubble that was about to burst and how many of those jobs went up in smoke with the bursting of that bubble.
What I find interesting is that the article you posted from the Wa Po isn't unique similar editorials appeared in a ton of papers. I wonder why? I wonder if it has to do with the fact that anti-free trade candidates are now in danger of taking over BOTH parties and the establishment loves their free trade?
Here's a quote from a story in the LA times.
"But when Sanders criticizes NAFTA by saying, American workers should not be forced to compete against people in Mexico making 25 cents an hour, he overlooks the fact that American workers were already competing with Mexican workers, as well as those from countless other low-wage countries. Globalization isn't a product of trade deals, it's a product of developing economies becoming more connected commercially to the developed world by technology and other forces." From the LA Times (http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-presidential-race-trade-20160310-story.html)
The Wa Po article makes the same basic argument, but it is kinda a laughable one. Once you have FREE TRADE it creates a far more direct competition and while we have made vast technological advancements... the teleporter isn't one of them yet.. so building a factory in Mexico only becomes economically feasible when you don't have additional costs associated with import.
Yes, "Call centers" became easier to outsource due to technology, but not manufacturing jobs, where an actual product has to be made and transported.
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People complain I use personal experience, but my experience in corporate America
hollysmom
Mar 2016
#1
You can't look at one industry to gauge the impact of trade. Many Mexican farmers have jobs
Hoyt
Mar 2016
#60
When Mexico wises up, it will be better to have economic activity to tax and jobs to require
Hoyt
Mar 2016
#113
I see you have a Buddha avatar. Nice compassionate attitude you have there.
liberal_at_heart
Mar 2016
#13
Yeah it arguably affects cities worse because when the economy is gone then
Cheese Sandwich
Mar 2016
#94
We make most of the heavy plant and machinery other countries use in their factories
Recursion
Mar 2016
#91
The millions of people who lost their jobs know the truth. You are going on my ignore list.
liberal_at_heart
Mar 2016
#20
Tell that to the people who used to work at the 10 - 12 factories that used to exist nearby.
Vinca
Mar 2016
#10
The problem is every time a factory closes people say "NAFTA". Even if it went to China
Recursion
Mar 2016
#68
Don't believe that's true, but it would be less than one percent of jobs if it were.
Hoyt
Mar 2016
#61
Not surprising that you failed to point out that household/consumer debt has exponentially increased
brentspeak
Mar 2016
#107
"NAFTA did not cause the huge job losses feared by the critics, Uh huh.
cherokeeprogressive
Mar 2016
#37
Personal experience is very meaningful. Similar things happened every where.
Bread and Circus
Mar 2016
#42
Somewhere there must be a thorough analysis of the number of jobs shipped elsewhere
Jitter65
Mar 2016
#115
It is moving there in an attempt to survive against cheaper/better products made elsewhere. It's sad
Hoyt
Mar 2016
#62
People want high quality, inexpensive stuff. Carrier, Toyota, Samsung, etc., are proof of that.
Hoyt
Mar 2016
#66
In the context of about 50 million net new jobs having been created since then
Recursion
Mar 2016
#78
The data are very clear: the last 20 years were much better than the 20 years before them
Recursion
Mar 2016
#74
TPP is in the Democratic Party Platform for a reason. Anti-NAFTA spin is pushed hard by the RW
ucrdem
Mar 2016
#97
Nope. Sept 26, 1960: "I'm not satisfied until every American enjoys full constitutional rights.
ucrdem
Mar 2016
#104
And then he left the Freedom Riders totally unprotected against the white mobs.
Ken Burch
Mar 2016
#105