[CTC] Seattle Times: The ‘free trade’ primaries? Nope

[Dolan, Mike]

"As difficult as it may be for Washington state’s business and political establishment to grasp, TPP is in big trouble and will probably be shelved."

The ‘free trade’ primaries? Nope
Seattle Times
By Jon Talton
March 1, 2016
http://www.seattletimes.com/business/economy/the-free-trade-primaries-nope/

Once trade was an easy sell to Americans. No longer. And that may prove unsettling to Washington state's business model.

What a difference 24 years makes.

In 1992, both incumbent George H.W. Bush and “New Democrat” challenger Bill Clinton supported the proposed North America Free Trade Agreement. Third-party challenger H. Ross Perot made it an election issue, claiming low wages in Mexico would produce a “giant sucking sound” that eviscerated well-paid blue collar American jobs.

A year later, after Clinton had won, Vice President Al Gore got the best of Perot in a CNN debate on NAFTA. Most Americans supported the managed (not “free”) trade deal and it went into force.

In this election, no major candidate is trumpeting “free trade” or even managed trade on the NAFTA model. Sen. Bernie Sanders called the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiated by the Obama administration “disastrous.” Hillary Clinton refused to support it, too. [The real-estate developer] called it “a horrible deal.” Sen. Marco Rubio once pushed TPP but has since backed away.

As difficult as it may be for Washington state’s business and political establishment to grasp, TPP is in big trouble and will probably be shelved. If [the real-estate developer] is elected, the entire edifice of neoliberalism could be pulled down, including on trade.

Twenty-four years ago, the United States was the world’s largest exporter. It had only benefited from trade deals. Seen another way, most of the country then was what Washington state remains (largely thanks to Boeing). Now China is the world’s leading exporter and much more of a giant sucking sound than Mexico.

Both Sanders and [the real-estate developer] are finding traction — and pulling their opponents with them — because enough voters don’t believe the trade status quo is working for them.



MFD :: IBT

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