You're wrong. Michigan has lost more jobs to other states than it has to other countries because of higher taxes and union strangleholds. Additionally, many new jobs here are from foreign companies including HI-tech, automotive industries and their suppliers, it's called job 'in sourcing.'
The state has a robust economy that is brought down by the huge cities, and the collective pathetic city management (like Detroit) and employee unions. Thank the dems and their 'Great Society' that has really made a perpetual mess of urban areas.
To suggest that job issues here are a direct result of free trade policies is at best myopic. To be sure a few jobs could be affected but it is miniscule by comparison - but open trade brings in more factories (like the Japanese auto companies) than a protectionist mindset would produce.
And don't forget productivity. It is way up along with technology and simply fewer people are needed in many applications. I have considered (and still am) moving my own business to a friendlier state and taking the jobs with it, and it doesn't have a darned thing to do with free trade.
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It is not as simplistic as you present. The enemy is within, not external in my view.
Oh I certainly agree with THAT statement.
It is our own government that imposes excessive regulations, mandates and economic burden on our domestic industries, making them less competitive in the global market. And it is our own political leadership that then undermines our domestic industries by favoring imports for the transnational corporations.
Yes, the "enemy within" are the free traitors, there is no doubt about it.