Why is NAFTA more popular than illegal immigration in the Dem party?

[Radical Activist]

I guarantee you that NAFTA has taken more good paying jobs from Americans and given them to Mexicans than illegal immigrants ever have. People need to stop letting themselves be manipulated and realize who their real enemies are instead of blaming their problems on the poorest and most downtrodden in our society.

Thanks Bill! Thanks corporate-sponsored Democrats!

[Robbien]

1. NAFTA hurts the middle class/poor and enriches the elite

Of course the politicians would favor NAFTA in their pandering of the K Street lobbyists.

[htuttle]

2. I don't think NAFTA is more popular

I just think people don't want to critize President Clinton for signing it.

[Tux]

3. Both parties made it

So they are both responsible for it. That is why I have been Green for years.

[htuttle]

5. My Senator, Russ Feingold (D-WI), voted against it

Which is one of the reasons he's been so popular with both Republicans and Democrats (that, and bucking the party again by not voting for the PATRIOT Act). He voted against the IWR, too. That's probably another reason why he did so much better than Kerry did in WI in 2004.

While Russ is often called 'courageous', all he really does is vote for what he believes is the best thing, just like you or I would -- and turn down all the money that's offered for voting for what someone else thinks is the right thing (for themselves).

It's not about 'cowardice' in Washington -- it's about 'greed'.

[PeaceProgProsp]

4. NAFTA causes illegal immigration! Mobile capital - immobile labor:

NAFTA makes huge profits for corporate execs by exporting manufacturing to countries with captive and exploited labor forces, and then imports the profits back to America, leaving nothing for the foreign countries.

Then we complain that people in those foreign countries want to come to the us and be the home builders and cleaners and fast food delivery people for those American executives making so much money off their relatives' labors back home?

God, we're a nation of idiots if we think the solution to this is to punish those people who are just trying to chase down the wealth that should be theirs.

[Radical Activist]

6. That's a good way of describing the problem. n/t

[robcon]

7. NAFTA is a tremendous source of jobs for the U.S.

It was as important as the internet bubble in the job growth of the 1990's.

[PeaceProgProsp]

9. What jobs? It's a tremendous source for polarization of wealth.

NAFTA is creating corporate profits which aren't being shared with the people whose work creates those profits, and it's devaluing labor in the US as well. So, for people who make money from their labors rather than from capital (ie, most Americans) NAFTA doesn't do much more than give a handful of people who don't care about them even more political and economic power.

[Radical Activist]

10. Yeah, it created lots of low wage jobs with no benefits

Those jobs were taken by the people who used to have good paying union jobs before their job was sent overseas. Creating lots of Walmart and McDonalds type jobs is not an accomplishment.

[Deja Q]

8. Did Bill sign NAFTA knowing what would happen?

If so, he's the best president the republicans ever had.

If not, he was in no position to be leader.

Sorry for my harshness, but I kinda find the concept of Americans having good paying jobs rather important...

[PeaceProgProsp]

11. kick