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To: american spirit
Look at the escalation in prices we've seen over the last couple decades for shoes, shirts, pants, food etc. all now produced in these low wage countries yet the price tag is now a multiple of what it was back in the 70's and 80's.

That's a point that is seldom brought up by the free traders who want the cheap labor. Nike sneakers used to be made here, with the cost of them high, about $100.00, but the workers made a decent wage.

They moved the company to Asia, paying the child labor about 50 cents an hour, but the price of the sneaker is still, if not more, than it was here. Someone's getting rich, and it's not the workers.

The same thing is going on with illegal immigrants into this country. The corporations are using them to cut costs, but the prices don't come down, and the executives get their 20 million dollar Christmas bonuses.

Free enterprise is one thing, but if these companies don't have a strong, middle class with buying power to purchase their goods, then how do they plan to stay in business? Henry Ford, for all his imperfections understood that, which is why he began offering his workers a livable wage. Now Ford is like the rest of them...screw the American worker, it's only the green for themselves that matters.

Eventually it's all going to come crashing down on them.

38 posted on 12/29/2001 12:10:23 AM PST by Reaganwuzthebest
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To: Reaganwuzthebest
Excellent post and you've made several salient points that are on the money. Those who really believe free trade has benefitted the USA as a whole are nothing more than useful idiots for the global media/political propaganda machine.
40 posted on 12/29/2001 12:12:18 AM PST by american spirit
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