[phil_will1]

"Looks like they want to keep Free Trade Street one way."

Yes, it does .... unfortunately. This looks more and more like unilateral disarmament. The administration responds to these concerns by pointing out statistics that have nothing to do with the real economic pain that so many Americans are feeling. It just reinforces the Democrats' charge that Republicans only care about their corporate CEO buddies. Who cares if the Dow keeps rising if we continue to lose jobs? And counting job gains is misleading too, since they don't address the kinds of jobs that are being created. Are we really supposed to believe that a fast food cook is equivalent to a programmer? This administration is in denial, just as much as the first Bush's economic team was in 92.

It is painful to watch, for many reasons. The Democrats don't have any solutions, and protectionism won't work, but the frustration over this situation may nevertheless cost GW the swing voters and the election.

[Cronos]

"Looks like they want to keep Free Trade Street one way."

India and China are dominated by American or European FMCG groups like Colgate-Palmolive, Gilette, Proctor and Gamble, Nestle, Unilever etc. It's not one way. FAce facts these countries are opening up and since 2 billion people are being freed from the socialist 'heaven' there will be greater supply of technically sound people. Supply and demand. The thigns that can make us even more competitive than we are (and we're 25% of the world GDP and have a near 5% growth -- phenomenal, we add the euqivalent of Australia to our GDP yearly) is by reducing the size of government, not increasing it with tariffs, taxes, regulations, rules, lawyers, politicians etc. etc.