So if the new global economy allows corporations to push salaries downward, what is your solution?
The same as it's been for a long time: allow the corporations to go bankrupt. Do not prop them up with government dollars in any way.
In that way, they remain competitive with smaller businesses, and cannot establish monopolies. The job market will then be moved to it's fair and natural point.
As far as competition from abroad, the issue of trade and lack of market place access has caused wars in the past. Holing up is not the solution. But pressing foreign governments, perhaps at the points of guns, to not create unfair advantages for corporations in their countries, will perhaps not allow thse corporations to "game" the system.
By the way, didn't you notice that the guy who wrote this Sam's Club article is essentially a leftist?
Reihan Salam wrote a similar online article earlier this year, titled "The Crisis of 'Sam's Club Republicans.'" There was a FR thread on that too. Someone dug up that Salam was with the progressive magazine The New Republic at one point.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1318675/posts?page=9#9
"He is a former reporter-researcher at The New Republic."
The New Republic was established about 90 years ago, with the mission of undoing the system of limited government.
I find it hard to believe that a fellow such as yourself who believes we are going in the wrong direction regarding trade and "globalisation" would be turning to one of those dreaded Weekly Standard neocons. I thought your guys didn't like them?
The way I look at it however, is that the author has chosen to leave his home party/movement. There are two kinds of people in that situation: converts and refugees. He's one of the latter. He hasn't really changed his worldview, to that of goverment intervention in the economy over the long haul is a net negative. Salam comes across as pretty much a pro-taxer kind of guy. In his own backhanded way, he concedes that entitlement reform might really be needed to salvage the economy, but believes his new Party should not bother with that political fight.
In other words, he's a guy who hasn't figured out that it was his way of trying to do things that made the Democrats such a lousy political party, and thinks things can be made right by doing the same things, but with the opposition party, and only minor twists or tweaks.
Salam's neo-populist article also betrays what quasi-leftists think conservatives are: right wing populists. In the view of these guys, we are not being serious if we call for a return to Originalism and the constitution in exile. That all we want is just "spoils" for our side.