[hedgetrimmer]

And yes, I would imagine that none of the free traders (on this site, anyway) would support that

You shouldn't presume that. Just like NAFTA has created the North American Community (virtually no border with Mexico) the CAFTA is the stepping stone to the FTAA, it says so in its preamble. It also says in its preamble that the purpose of the FTAA is hemispheric integration. The "free traders" on this website are well aware of it.

And, although they have a fondness for calling true conservatives marxists and other names, their view, as has been pointed out, was promoted by Marx himself and "free trade" is their means to destroy nations and integrate the western hemisphere.

[Nowhere Man]

And, although they have a fondness for calling true conservatives marxists and other names, their view, as has been pointed out, was promoted by Marx himself and "free trade" is their means to destroy nations and integrate the western hemisphere.

The way I see it is where Marx was correct in his support of free trade is as someome point out that it would turn the working class against the owners. You will get that as our jobs will go away and our standard of living falls. Whether Marx had that idea on his mind, I dunno, but if he didn't, it would fall under hte "law of unintended consequences." If this goes on, at some point, you will have many people clamouring for a dictatorship, be it Communist or more likely, Fascist, two sides of the same coin actually. Unhappy people will produce that, some say thati s the plan, some sort of New World Order if you will, which I do believe that is true to quite an extent. Eventually it will fail and everything will collapse unless things fall apart before it gets to that point and civilization whithers, be it from ineptitude, inertia or if God steps in. I do believe God will put things right eventually, but that's getting off base.

Historically, Marx was a knee jerk reaction to the inequities and lack of opportunity for the average person during the robber baron days, but he went way, way too far just as on the other side of the coin, Ayn Rand and many uber capitalists was a knee jerk reaction to the other side. Both are so far off the reservation, they are equally bad.

So the way I see it, intended or not, Marx's analysis of free trade was right on in his outlook on achieving his goals yet many do not see the dangers in that.

WE need something in the middle somewhere and with common sense, in which we are seriously lacking today.