[Alberta's Child]

There's a lot of truth to what the author says, but he overlooks a very important point. What we have come to accept as "free trade" in this country has basically become a mechanism for getting around legal, moral and regulatory issues here in the U.S. that prevent us from operating the same way our trading partners do.

For example ... we don't hesitate to take on trading partners whose industries operate under environmental standards and using employee pay scales that would be illegal here in the U.S. Am I really a "protectionist" if I recognize the stupidity of outlawing slavery here in the U.S. while trading with countries where it is (for all practical purposes) a common practice?

[dfwgator]

Exactly. I don’t know what we have now, but it sure ain’t “Free Trade.” Does China open up her markets to US products? Hell, no.