Kucinich to Obama: Free Trade = Fewer US Jobs

[Donnachaidh]

http://www.nationofchange.org/kucinich-obama-free-trade-fewer-us-jobs-1313513607

Con­gress­man Den­nis Kucinich (D-OH) today wrote to Pres­i­dent Obama in re­sponse to claims that free trade agree­ments with Korea, Panama and Colom­bia will spur job growth. Pres­i­dent Obama is sched­uled to speak in Iowa today, a state that has lost 21,500 jobs from free trade poli­cies ac­cord­ing to Bu­reau of Labor Sta­tis­tics.



:snip:


As you con­tinue a tour around the United States fo­cused on the Amer­i­can econ­omy and jobs, I write to ex­press my deep con­cern over your char­ac­ter­i­za­tion of free trade agree­ments as ve­hi­cles that will in­crease U.S. ex­ports and boost our econ­omy. In June, the U.S. trade deficit rose to its high­est in three years to $53.1 bil­lion. At this rate, the an­nu­al­ized 2011 trade deficit could ex­ceed $600 bil­lion. His­tor­i­cally, free trade agree­ments have proven very dam­ag­ing to Amer­i­can work­ers and the Amer­i­can econ­omy, often re­sult­ing in sig­nif­i­cant job loss and in­creases in the U.S. trade deficit. The three im­pend­ing trade deals Con­gress is ex­pected to con­sider this fall - Ko­rea-U.S., U.S.-Colom­bia and U.S.-Panama – are likely to ex­ac­er­bate our eco­nomic woes rather than re­solve them.

A re­cent ar­ti­cle in the Los An­ge­les Times por­trays your jobs agenda as a plan that “calls for $30 bil­lion to re­build roads, bridges and ports; im­prove­ments to the patent sys­tem to spur in­no­va­tion; trade deals with a trio of coun­tries to boost ex­ports; a $40-bil­lion ex­ten­sion of un­em­ploy­ment in­sur­ance ben­e­fits; and re­newal of the cur­rent one-year re­duc­tion of the pay­roll tax at a cost of up to $120 bil­lion.” With the high­est jump in our trade deficit in years, the facts re­gard­ing the po­ten­tial job losses from in­creases in for­eign im­ports and in­creases in the U.S. trade deficit as a re­sult of these free trade agree­ments far out­weigh any pos­i­tive im­pacts that U.S. ex­ports may have on our econ­omy. The num­bers speak for them­selves.

More at the link --

[robcon]

1. Kucinich is wrong. Free trade equals more jobs, and better standard of living for all.

I think Dennis should take Economics 101: it's called Comparative Advantage.

edit:typo

[ixion]

2. LOL

:rofl:

...


...

:spray:

:rofl:

Yeah, if you happen to live in India or China. :eyes:

[Lasher]

3. Hahaha

LOL, you need Economics 010.

[girl gone mad]

4. The data doesn't seem to back you up.

Check out this article from the Harvard Business Review, 1986:

http://hbr.org/1986/09/the-folly-of-free-trade/ar/1

Everything he predicted came true and now we are seeing that demand crunch.

The IMF recently reported that globalization has lead to a lower standard of living throughout the developing world, increased job insecurity, increased poverty rates overall and caused dangerous dependence on foreign sources of agriculture in many places.

The best thing we could all do right now is work on growing our local economies and get the power out of the hands of the central planners who are wreaking so much destruction across the world.

[Bluebear]

5. How Free Trade Helps Employment and the Economy by the Heritage Foundation

http://blog.heritage.org/2011/08/09/how-free-trade-helps-employment-and-the-economy/

Enjoy!

[leftstreet]

6. lol

:spray:

[Bluebear]

7. Just trying to help catapult the propaganda. nt

[Starry Messenger]

12. !!

I love fantasy literature.

[JDPriestly]

42. The Heritage Foundation is a corporate shill

I would not put it past them to falsify the numbers. Do you have any other source?

[EFerrari]

43. Yes, that would be the point. nt

[JDPriestly]

44. The job increase that the Heritage Foundation cited is so misleading.

They don't mention that the jobs that have been created are service jobs. Essentially we pass more hamburgers back and forth than we did prior to free trade.

The good jobs are shipped overseas. The hamburgers we pass back and forth end up in our sewers.

And they don't say anything about the fact that WAGES HAVE BEEN STAGNANT as a result of free trade.

Corporate shills, that's all the Heritage Foundation is. The "economists" who work there should be ashamed of themselves for the one-sided drivel they spout.

[Elwood P Dowd]

8. I think you should take economics and then read up on David Ricardo.

Our free trade policies have NOTHING to do with comparative advantage. They are all about "absolute advantage" with foreign slave labor wages and nonexistent labor and environmental standards that enrich the billionaire investors and CEOs'

[comtec]

37. You might want to change your Icon if you believe in more ethical companies...

Only Microsoft went to India and sub-standard Chinese quality than Apple.
Need you reminding that the plant where those people were murdering themselves because they were SEVERELY over worked makes APPLE products?

When WAS the last time Apple made something IN THIS COUNTRY anyway?

Considering they are using PS STANDARD parts, and using Chinese slave labor, you'd think the price of apples would be coming down to affordable.

And yes this is a slam on Apple from a system administrator that supports Macs.

that aside... yes we agree on DK's stance. He was my choice for the primary, but since I was voting from California, my vote didn't matter.

[wuushew]

9. Are you on any level interested in environmentalism?

Why is spreading the "gift" of western consumption good for us or the Earth?

Everybody is getting richer? That is a laugh. Eventually even you will suffer from higher energy and food prices your philosophy causes.


No amount global demographic transition will out balance the raw damage. We are already locked into millenia of elevated CO2.

[OhioChick]

11. LMFAO.....

You've got to be shitting me.

[Name removed]

18. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[OHdem10]

14. Comparative Advantage: There is no comparative advantage.

Comparative advantage is plain speak means. Each Country
involved is fairly equivalent to the other country.

Take Canada and U.S. Their citizens are comparatively equal.
Both countries have Rich, Poor, and Middle Class. The Middle
Class in the USA can afford most any product made by Canadians.
Sure, the Rich will buy the Luxury goods. The same thing goes
for the USA (if we made enough goods anymore). This is basis
for good comparative advantage.

Just about all of our Trade Agreements were made on shifting
sands--no foundation. Lack Comparative Advantage.

China, Asia you name it. Our workers earn 3, 4, 5 times what
their workers earn. Our goods are so expensive in their countries
that only the rich can afford them. The Rich in any country
is the smallest group of people. Comparative Advantage is shot
to hell.

Our Trade Agreements are for the Multinationals more than the
people. Wall St wants the Multinationals to make lots of money
so they have urged them to go to places of cheap labor. Right
now the Multinationals need to open up more companies in those
countries so they can continue to reap big profits. Most countries
demand the company move there and manufacture there if they want
to eventually sell there.

If our Trade Agreements from the beginning had been more fairl
negotiated, we would not have the joblessness. Trade is sucking
money and jobs out of this country.

[Cali_Democrat]

16. I majored in economics and statistics in college

It appears that analyzing empirical evidence is not your strong suit.

Have you not been paying attention to the data?

[TheKentuckian]

21. No, he's right. Reality trumps theory. Free trade is not raising our standard of living or more jobs

[defendandprotect]

23. Free trade agreements = slave labor -- they're "harvesting slave labor all over the globe"...

and taking our jobs to do it!!

And, according to Catherine Austin Fitts, we all paid for the costs of moving the jobs!!

[Quantess]

25. you forgot the sarcasm tag

:spray:

[HughBeaumont]

28. Uh .. . this one's dead serious.

Which is why he's in my Red-X toilet, reserved for the laissez-fail crew and their Reaganite garbage.

[krabigirl]

26. ..... more jobs where? india?

[Zorra]

27. Should we believe what we see, or what you tell us? nt

[bvar22]

30. DUzy!!! Thanks for the laughs.

:rofl:

Even Obama & Hillary agrees with Kucinich!

Obama's Position on NAFTA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LtbLEKHsi0&NR=1


You will know them by their WORKS,
not by their excuses.

Solidarity!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Pooka Fey]

33. Yeah, how's that been working out for us so far since NAFTA?

What planet do you live on? Better standard of living for all?? I thought I'd find a sarcasm smily on your post.
Enjoy your stay...:hi:

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

34. .

Moron.

[fishwax]

35. yeah, sure n/t

[Odin2005]

36. Capitalist propaganda. -1000

[Bluebear]

61. +

[BlueJac]

38. dreamer........chicago school economics 101 maybe.......

I think maybe you should go to refresher class.

[Enthusiast]

40. You are making a fucking joke. Right?

Free trade deals have devastated the nation.

[Bluebear]

47. Not that one.

[JDPriestly]

41. You are wrong. Here are Dennis's facts:

Since 2001, the U.S. has lost 5.3 million jobs in the manufacturing sector as a result of trade policies which are adverse to the economic interests of the American people. According to the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), passage of the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement could result in the loss of 159,000 American jobs within the first seven years of its implementation. EPI further estimates that the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement will result in the loss or displacement of an additional 55,000 American jobs. Between 1994 and 2010, states previously known for their manufacturing industries like Ohio, Minnesota, Michigan and Iowa have collectively lost over 772, 000 manufacturing jobs.

http://www.nationofchange.org/kucinich-obama-free-trade-fewer-us-jobs-1313513607

Prior to the signing of each trade agreement, we are told that it will bring jobs.

But after each trade agreement, we lose many, many jobs.

So, robcon, where are the figures that prove that trade agreements increase jobs IN THE LONG RUN.

Where is our favorable trade surplus at the moment?

We had them back when we imposed tariffs and other limitations on imports like other sensible nations do.

Show me your numbers. Show me your facts. Which of our trade agreements has OVER THE LONG RUN increased jobs in the US? And by how many? Just what happened?

I want facts, not slogans.

[Hart2008]

48. BULLSHIT! Comparative advantage doesn't trickle down at the micro level!

The truth is that after the dot com bubble and the real estate bubble, we can now hear the giant sucking sound that Mr. Perot was talking about, and it is quite deafening.

The reality is that the more free trade deals we have passed, the worse the standard of living here in the U.S. has become. Before all these bad free trade deals with developing countries, people here had jobs, and health care, and pensions, etc.

The only place you neoliberals have created more jobs, is in the developing world. Here you want everyone flipping burgers, sweeping floors and cleaning toilets, and then you want to import foreign labor to drive wages down. Exporting jobs while importing workers is a failed economic policy.

Neoliberals like you are ruining this country.

:puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke::puke: :puke: :puke: :puke:

[L0oniX]

49. I had to login just so I could throw you into my ignore dungeon. Enjoy your stay.

You shouldn't be on dads computer when he is gone.

[swilton]

50. More jobs?

Through outsourcing to China, India, and places where wages are lower and safety and environmental regulations are weaker.

[Name removed]

55. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[tritsofme]

10. No one ever accused Dennis of knowing about economics.

[Elwood P Dowd]

13. He knows 8 trillion in trade deficits and 10 million lost jobs because of our insane free trade

policies the past 25 years. It's even worse this year since we're on schedule to run up another 600 billion in trade deficits in just ONE FUCKING YEAR! How bad does it have to get before some people wake the hell up?

[OHdem10]

15. Dennis in this instance knows more than somre of us.

[girl gone mad]

20. I now accuse Dennis of knowing about economics.

Anyone who would seek and receive the counsel of Michael Hudson must have real depth and understanding. If I had been aware of this connection in 2008, I would have taken his candidacy more seriously.

[Cleita]

17. Fair trade is what we need. Free trade is nothing more

than Laissez Faire economics, which has brought down nations before, if one looks at history. Fair trade is one that protects our interests while making a deal that benefits both parties in the exchange.

[Bryn]

22. +1000

Yes! I completely agree!

[Rosa Luxemburg]

19. I am inclined to agree with Dennis on this one

[tk2kewl]

45. Who would have thought 20 years later that RossPerot had it right.

:(

[defendandprotect]

24. One of the few Democrats still standing up for democracy -- and economic democracy, w/o which ....

there is no democracy!!

And, certainly capitalism is the very opposite of economic democracy!!

[Recursion]

29. The problem is offshoring will happen with or without trade agreements

We need to not bury our heads in the sand about this: trade agreements didn't cause offshoring, they are an (often bad) attempt to manage what was and is already happening.

[bvar22]

31. NO one says to abandon Trade Agreements.

Dennis Kucinich advocates withdrawal from NAFTA (ant the others),
and re-negotiate them on a bi-lateral basis
giving priority to Human Rights, LABOR Rights, and Environmental protections.

[Pooka Fey]

32. Thank you Dennis Kucinich for your courage to state the truth before the Machine.

[Freddie Stubbs]

39. Yet another reason why people like Kucinich will never be in the White Hose

[wuushew]

59. how is he wrong Freddie?

I'll wait for your response.

[Freddie Stubbs]

62. America was losing manufacturing jobs long before free trade

Free trade agreements make sure that Americans benefit as much as possible from the reality that we are integrated into the global economy.

[pampango]

46. In 2010 our trade deficit with "free trade" partners is $70 billion compared to $560 billion with

non-"free trade" countries. We have 'free trade' agreements with 17 countries. In 2010 we had a trade surplus with 12 of them and deficits with 5 of them.

http://www.ustr.gov/trade-agreements/free-trade-agreements
http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/index.html

Our overall trade deficit is largely from China ($273B), the EU ($80B) and Japan $60B). We don't have 'free trade' agreements with any of them.

The US does much better and comes much closer to balanced trade with its 'free trade' partners than it does with the other countries in the world.

[mmonk]

51. DK didn't get his memo from the Chamber of Commerce.

Somebody's gonna have to twist his arm again and get him in line.

[democrat2thecore]

52. Once again, Kucinich is absolutely right. -nt

[RB TexLa]

53. He's incorrect. But even if he was correct. Everyone to Kucinich "Think of someone other than

just your God damn precious Americans!"

[Elwood P Dowd]

57. Another one who worships millions in US job losses and trillions in trade deficits.

Oh well, a decade ago there were several here that believed that insanity. Now its down to half a dozen.

[flvegan]

58. Wha..

I don't even know where to begin with this one.

[Elwood P Dowd]

60. Same here.

There are two posters on this thread that make me wonder why DU still tolerates their corporate talking points.

[mmonk]

54. Interesting study from 2003 about free trade and job losses

and net export/import data concerning NAFTA.

http://www.epi.org/publications/entry/briefingpapers_bp147/

[AngkorWot]

56. Is this the same guy who was against supporting Libyan rebels?