What's to obfuscate? You think the economy is going down the tubes, and I say it has seldom been as powerful and glowing. Free trade has caused pain, but it has also caused many success stories.
Exxon and Conoco posted record profits. You think the 100s of thousands of people in the oil/gas industry are making minimum wage?
Boeing is experiencing a rennaisance, and has re-staffed to near pre-911 levels, despite Airbus government funded largess.
Paccar, builder of heavy trucks here in the NW has record stock prices, and the big trucks keep rolling off the assembly line.
Burlington Northern Santa Fe has placed orders for so many locomotives and rail cars it'll make your head spin.
The Wine industry on the West coast continues to experience impressive growth, despite all the Australian, european, and S. American competition.
Despite the globalization of SW engineers and programmers, Microsoft is still raking in billions.
Starbucks continues to open stores around the country and globe. Who designs and builds these places? I know, and they are busier than the proverbial one legged man.
Our lone steel plant in Seattle operates 24/7 producing rebar for the construction industry and just spent millions upgrading some of their systems the last few years.
A brand new Chlorine plant is opening in Longview Washington, first in the country in ages. Who designed and built it? Who will run it? Who will program the automation?
It goes on and on.
America is not the powerhosue manufacturing and industrial nation it once was. America has morphed into a serivice oriented nation and our lousy education system is one reason why.
>>>>You think the economy is going down the tubes...
Not at all. Never said that. Those are your words.
What I don't want to see happen, is for the US to continue advancing globalist policy that allows for unfair trade practices by foreign nations as a weapon of choice to be used against the MY country. In addition, I don't trust globalists like Vincente Fox, Paul Martin or Stephen Harper. And that includes this POTUS. Bush has been running around the globe negotiating free trade agreements with nations who aren't friendly to America.