NAFTA

A couple of months ago while in an ER I told the doctor, that like a cat, I have nine lives and am working on the ninth. Doc said, “Who says that we only have nine lives?” All of a sudden I got younger again.

Part of my nine lives: 4)U.S. Air Force, 5)College, 6)Teaching, Counseling & Coaching, 7)Managing a U.S. Customhouse Brokerage Firm, 8)Computer Systems Administrator for a city in southern CA, 9)Still working on it, haven’t figured out who or what I want to be when I grow up. From life number seven, to date, I also had my own private business, computer programming, software and hardware.

However, this writing, in re NAFTA, applies to life number seven. Customhouse brokers serve as an agent for their clients in the import/export business. It is a very profitable business in the transacting of business for their clients, import/export documents, advice, paying of duties on their behalf, etc. When NAFTA was first proposed it was one of my soapbox issues, obviously in favor of. It was a further boon to our cities in southern California and Texas on the border of Mexico. I feel a little guilty, and selfish, in this support for this was not beneficial for many Americans. Hindsight.

This treatise, as to how NAFTA affected loss of jobs in this country, is going to be somewhat simplistic but basically factual. I will not spell out the meaning of the acronym NAFTA, nor will I define many of the terms used. Check with Google. I assume that most of those whom are arguing the pros and cons understand what they’re talking about and have accomplished the research. But the first two letters, NA, equate to North American. The loss of jobs in this country far transcends North America. And those losses of jobs began well before NAFTA. NAFTA just simplified the process.

For those of us old enough to remember, or who have researched the subject, the loss of jobs in this country began years before NAFTA. About ten years before NAFTA 807 provisions of the U.S. Tariff Code (now renamed 9802)) was enacted. This allowed the export of materials from the U.S. to a foreign country to be assembled and returned to the parent company in the U.S. Companies paid duties on the foreign value added. What was the major reason for shutting down companies in the U.S. and outsourcing labor to a foreign country? Obviously, the answer was cheap labor.

If one travels south of our border one can find many, many major industrial complexes accomplishing work, labor, for many, many Fortune 500 companies.

Again, in January 1, 1994, when NAFTA was enacted, it lifted many restrictions and made this process even simpler. And then, as I said earlier, the NA in NAFTA stands for North America. Job losses not only went to Mexico, we began expanding to other developing developing-nations. Why? Again, it’s obvious, even cheaper labor.

Makes no difference whether it was Hillary or Barack winking at Canadian diplomats, probably neither, indicating that they were only posturing in re their stance on NAFTA. Actually it’s rather ludicrous. How many jobs have we lost to our neighbors to the north? If I were the candidate I’d be discretely assuring Mexican diplomats and Fortune 500 companies that benefit from offshore assembly with cheaper, much cheaper wages. I’d also assure those of us in southern California and Texas that I did initially support NAFTA and will only make minor changes. And, at the minimum, don’t make an issue of it while campaigning there. But, in Ohio, Pennsylvania, et al., speak vociferously that I originally did not support NAFTA. Did!

What caused this dilemma, the loss of jobs, in the onset? Lobbyists? Fortune 500 lobbyists who have politicians in their back pocket?

My latest soapbox issue, getting Barrack Obama elected. I’m a registered republican who’s only veered off course once when voting for John F. Kennedy. About to veer off course again. It is time for change; it is time for HOPE. It is time to out the old and in the new.

It boggles my mind that someone with low honesty, truthfulness and integrity poll ratings could even be in contention. How have values escaped us? This is not bashing, it is factual. Check the polls.

Again, I’m an old republican codger that will be voting for Obama. C’mon fellow old codgers, listen to your youngsters. It is their future that we should be worrying about. Support them and their support of Barack Obama.

As an aside, every general election campaign seems to bring out used and overused key words. What are the key words to date? Hubris. Misogyny. Sexism. Racism. Get over it.

Attempted to be somewhat politically correct here.


God Bless America…

Good post.

- as

We will be hearing that a lot.

I agree with you. Give the next generation hope. They are going to need it.

I have a lot of respect for John McCain. He is a great American. But he, like many of us old codgers, me included, tend to have lapses of memory. He wont always have Lieberman by his side to whisper corrections in his ear. Or will he?

My allegiance is still with the republican party, only strayed for JFK and BHO.

Hillary? Should be obvious...but no more bashing.

Al Gore? I detest littering and the poisoning of our environment. However, I tend to believe "true" scientists. Were we not in an Ice Age many years ago? Long before my time...I think. Hopefully we've been warming up since else I'd be a popsicle. If the majority of knowledgeable scientists agree that we have a problem with global warming I'll take their word for it.

and thank you for the excellent and well written post.

from another huge ego...but not sorry.

Take care...

Edwards is one of the good guys.

Just hope that he doesn't go over the edge and support _______,

Take care...

Well, I hope you choose to be as open-minded about all issues as you are about Obama. I think I'll consider the "welcome" for a while.

:hi: