Is anyone watching the free-trade hearing on CSpan?

I know, there is already an earlier thread, but this is really interesting. This writer from Harper magazine is explaining free trade to a Democratic committee. He is also sharing personal stories.

Earlier, they had "obreros" or "workers" from Latin America explaining their lives. They worked for Puffy Combs before he shut down his sweatshop activities. Now, they say, Sean might increase wages about 66 percent for them. It would only cost Puffy 10 cents more for his clothing here in the states. So it looks like he is going to raise their wages.

We had an earlier thread about it here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=709426

He is also being critical of Krugman and Freidman for their free-trade espousing. Although Krugman IS on our side, he does get critical responses from the left like Ralph Nader for his trade views.

He is now talking about China.

Now, they have some macroeconomic economists spewing out statistics, throwing all of us into some Cold Equation.


So, what do you think we should do. Should we....

Reforming the system or pulling out and making trade agreements on a case by case decision.

...with a couple of preconditions:

*full employment at living wages in the US.

*no escape from fair labor and environmental standards for corporations that manufacture outside the US.

/sarcasm

Kucinich's position is the only reasonable one. It's stupid to think that we should trade with Canada on the same terms as Bandladesh. The only winners when we close our eyes to dictatorship and slavery are the multinational corporations who want to profit from misery.

I don't think we should have ANY kind of tariffs with Canada, and we should be allowed to fill our perscriptions there if the drug companies continue to rip us off.

China should be held to a different standard, since they engage in slave labor, union busting, and have little if any respect for human rights. An organization like the WTO that treats Canada and the communist regime in China the same is an affront to human rights.