Posted on 07/07/2004 11:05:41 AM PDT by 1rudeboy
Is globalization sending the best American jobs overseas? If you get your news from CNN’s Lou Dobbs, the answer is “of course” and the only real issue is how many trade restrictions should be applied to stem the bleeding.
But the recent scare about ”offshoring” is just the latest twist on an inaccurate, decades-old complaint that global trade is stealing jobs and causing a ”race to the bottom” in which corporations relentlessly scour the world for the lowest wages and most squalid working conditions. China and India have replaced 1980s Japan and 1990s Mexico as the most feared foreign threats to U.S. employment, and the old fallacy of job scarcity has once again reared its distracting head.
The truth is cheerier. Trade is only one element in a much bigger picture of incessant turnover in the American labor market. Furthermore, the overall trend is toward more and better jobs for American workers. While job losses are real and sometimes very painful, it is important -- indeed, for the formulation of sound public policy, it is vital -- to distinguish between the painful aspects of progress and outright decline.
Toward that end, and to counter protectionist “analysis” masquerading as fact, here are 10 core truths about global trade and American jobs.
Actually, you attacked the source, not realzing that this is a guest article appearing in that source. And yes, it does happen a lot around here, but that doesn't make it less of a logical fallacy.
Hey, whatever. You win. Sorry to have upset your fragile little world.
Glad to help you straighten things out.
Bump.
Great article. Fact and figures against the other side's anecdotes and fear-mongering.
Of course, facts and figures don't matter to those who really just can't stand to deal with the reality of the benefits of globalization. "There are none so blind as those who will not see."
I thought the libertarian case for slavery angle was a nice touch.
Yep. Roughly equivalent to trying to refute the conservative writings of William F. Buckley or the commentary of Rush Limbaugh by citing how David Duke likes the KKK.
But, hey, when you've got no logical refutation, I guess posting non sequiturs feels better than doing nothing.
I was thinking the other night that if this had been a pro-protectionism (with a suitably negative or alarmist title) piece, then this thread would've run into the hundreds as the free-traders and protectionists duked it out.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.