If you feel protectionism is a bad thing, in every degree, then why do we not ‘retaliate’ against those who practice it against us? To many countries that we import from restrict the importation of our goods into their country. If the labor cost of our goods drive the price too high then why do other countries erect artificial [protectionist] barriers to our goods?
DO we need a worldwide union? no, but what we need is union organizing worldwide. It doesn’t have to be a global union to balance the playing field anymore than the many unions in America should be one.
What we need to do in this country is to force our leaders to insist that our trade partners live up to our trade agreements. If Mexico and other countries enforced safety, labor, and environmental regulations as required in the treaties their cost [and wages] would even out the differences and cost of doing business. Just look at Canada; similar rules and regulations. similar labor cost, similar wages, safer products [than China], no child labor, etc. We need to further pressure our leaders to strengthen our treaties to contain language that prevents our partners from using third world labor practices for an advantage over us and the exploitation of their own people.
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