Posted on 02/29/2004 1:13:49 AM PST by sarcasm
WASHINGTON: Free trade is losing support in the US, in particular among high-income Americans, as more professionals feel threatened by job outsourcing to low-wage nations.
A recent poll by a Washington research group found falling support for free trade but the shift was most dramatic among those earning more than $US100,000 ($A130,000) a year.
The University of Maryland's Program on International Policy Attitudes found the percentage of those earning more than $US100,000 who actively supported free trade slid from 57 per cent in 1999 to 28 per cent in January 2004.
These results surprised even the researchers.
"It is rare in any case that any demographic slice drops 20 or 30 points on any issue," said research director Clay Ramsay.
"It certainly provides evidence for the theory that job insecurity is creeping up the income scale."
The poll showed more white-collar Americans joining the blue-collar outcry against globalisation and cast a cloud on the ability of the US to remain a leader in free trade. It also suggested protectionist talk would rise during the presidential election campaign.
But researchers said the results showed a majority of Americans endorsed free trade in principle, even if they believed it was being handled poorly by Washington.
"Feelings about international trade have gone from lukewarm, to luker," said PIPA director Steven Kull.
"Two-thirds say they support the reciprocal lowering of trade barriers but feel more needs to be done to mitigate the effects on workers and the environment." But the trend towards outsourcing of software and engineering jobs to countries such as India had led to a rethink of the benefits.
Senator Charles Schumer wrote recently in the New York Times that free trade had to be reconsidered in light of new economic realities, notably that much of the outsourcing was going to "a relatively few countries with abundant cheap labour".
"When American companies replace domestic employees with lower-cost foreign workers to sell more cheaply in home markets, it seems hard to argue this is the way free trade is supposed to work," Senator Schumer wrote.
Incidentally, the article at the top of this thread is from an Australian newspaper, and was likely inspired by the free-trade agreement that Australia signed with the U.S. a couple of weeks ago. Does she fall under your description above?
Good for him!
If he puts Venezuela first then he is right (both emotionally and rationally). Everyone should be loyal to his homeland. "Free" trade can go back to Hell!
One can only discuss free trade with its proponents for so long when you all hear are silly platitudes about how opposing it in its current form makes that person a Marxist. It does no such thing and only points up to the desperation free traders are feeling these days over the growing opposition to failed policies.
Did you hear that somewhere on this thread?
Give it time, it always does.
Goo goo gah gah feel better now? Time for beddy bye!What an insightful, witty retort. You sir, are obviously a master debator.
What was the average wage in the US in 1960?
Isn't it true that "free trade" is merely a theory and, much like socialism, has never been successful anywhere on earth? Up till now all we have ever had is regulated trade. What proof do you have that it will work as you and the other free traders claim. So far, we have seen, with the limited implementation of free trade an increase in profits to some here in America and a definite erosion of the middle-class economically. Why sould we believe a theory that has never been applied and, in fact, the opposite has always been successful?
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