Posted on 11/10/2007 10:03:26 AM PST by 1rudeboy
Daniel Griswold directs the Cato Institute's Center for Trade Policy Studies and authored the new study, "Trading Up: How Expanding Trade Has Delivered Better Jobs and Higher Living Standards for American Workers," available at freetrade.org.
President Bush urged Congress yesterday to pass four pending trade agreements, telling a White House audience that open markets boost economic growth, raise standards of living by creating higher-paying jobs and deliver more choice and better prices for consumers. Despite claims to the contrary by populist opponents of trade expansion, the president has the facts and decades of experience on his side.
Critics of trade counter that real wages have stagnated while the middle class has been squeezed by a loss of jobs to low-wage competitors such as China and Mexico. Democrats in Congress point to those anxieties to justify their opposition to any meaningful trade-expanding legislation — including pending free trade accords with South Korea and Colombia and renewal of presidential trade-promotion authority.
Like so many assumptions about trade, the belief that more global competition has somehow lowered the living standards of the average American worker and family is just a myth.
The critics have it all wrong: The middle class isn't disappearing — it's moving up.
The Census reports that the share of U.S. households earning $35,000 to $75,000 a year (in '06 dollars) — roughly, the middle class — has indeed shrunk slightly over the last decade, from 34 percent to 33 percent. But so, too, has the share earning less than $35,000 — from 40 percent to 37 percent.
It's the share of households earning more than $75,000 that's jumped — from 26 percent to 30 percent.
Trade has helped America transform itself into a middle-class service economy. Yes, the country's lost a net 3.3 million manufacturing jobs . . .
(Excerpt) Read more at freetrade.org ...
What a terrible turn of events. Where can the nation find a woman to lead us out of this mess?
The only good job is a manufacturing job. It doesn’t matter how much less it pays.
Food and beverage manufacturing doesn’t count, though. It must be something important . . . like pink flamingos.
Of course it's moving up, and also disappearing. Eventually we will have workers making wages comparable to the rest of the world and there will only be two classes, the poor and the elite.
Yes, and the statistics show that if you wish to be a member of the underclass, fail to get a high school diploma (or illegally cross the border).
Tell that to the roofers and landscapers.
Why? Are they more likely to be afraid of the truth?
Just saying that since you stated that everyone not making a decent wage has not graduated or is illegal, go ask someone who is legal and has a diploma.
But you knew that. Looks like you’re the one who’s afraid of the truth.
Don’t you know that stopping people from improving their lives will help the undereducated and the lower skilled?
Any other points you wish to make, Captain Obvious?
Well dear, there are statistics and there are real people. Talk to some. And thanks, I’ll be the captain.
bump
Real people? As in Ph.D. candidates working in landscaping using teaspoons as tools?
“Demagoguery beats data in making public policy.”
--Dick Armey
Oh, you alluded? Sorry, I thought you meant what you said:
the statistics show that if you wish to be a member of the underclass, fail to get a high school diploma
Pwah!
Even (if) so-called free trade were to be resulting in our once-mighty economy actually added jobs — a rather absurd claim on its face — those jobs are now being paid. In a rapidly shrinking currency.
A direct result, of a mind boggling foreign trade deficit.
Fact is *all* Americans are paid less, every day now.
Gee. This so-called free trade is just great.
Thanks Wal*mart.
Where are we hiding all those unemployed? In camps somewhere?
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