Originally posted by sgtclub
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What don't I understand? NAFTA is the law and free trade is the stated policy of the US and is not going away, even if Kerry wins. How will the US population kill free trade?
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If offshoring of jobs creates a big enough backlash against free trade and immigration, watch how fast the US unilaterally violates treaties and imposes tariffs &c.
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What does foreign aid have to do with this?
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The left has supported free trade and immigration as a way to help poor in the third world. Eliminating subsidies for US agriculture helps poor foreign farmers sell their own goods and even export it to the US.
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And what does helping the rich have to do with anything?
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Free trade with a country that has a lower standard of living and ample workforce at all educational levels depresses wages and increases purchasing power, so there's an ambiguous effect on workers. Some are better off; others are worse depending on which effect trumps. The rich make their money off capital, so their income is not depressed. They benefit to the extent they increase their profit margins by using cheaper workers and they benefit from increased purchasing power. A lot of big business and much of Wall Street tend to like free trade for this reason.
