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Free trade is a double edge sword. If other countries can make products cheaper than the United States can (because of cheap labor), then it is futile to try to compete with that. If Americans can buy these products cheaper, they will spend their savings on other products, improving both their standard of living and helping to create other jobs elsewhere.

It's more than just the free market... companies switched their plants to china, bangladesh, etc to increase their profits. The only people who make out when that happens is the upper management of the company.

I actually look at the labels and buy american goods when possible. It's just not that easy to do anymore.

I know you know this, but I'll say it anyway.
Our current trade policies are hurting us. We don't really "freely do it", we (the consumers) have little choice (as the article pointed out).
China is most definitely not engaging in free trade, they have tariffs and are manipulating the market and devaluing the Yuan 40%. Besides this they use slave labor. There is also evidence that they are using economics instead of a military to weaken us.
Our Congress is failing in its Constitutional duty to "regulate commerce", and protect us.

"And when (laid-off workers) went on unemployment, they went to the cheapest place they could to shop," he said. "They took their unemployment checks and went to Wal-Mart."
Sounds like a socialist future if the Congress doesn't make the necessary changes.