Free Republic

For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use. What if a terrorist bomb had caused the levee breaks that flooded New Orleans rather than hurricane Katrina? Would such an act of war, as opposed to nature, have brought America to its knees? Or are there other, more dangerous threats pending? Improving port security has been a high priority since September 11, 2001, with nightmare scenarios of a weapon of mass destruction being slipped into a crowded harbor. According to calculations from GlobalSecurity.org, an attack using toxic industrial chemicals or a radiological weapons could cause 350 deaths, contaminate the affected...

Angel Mills worked at GST AutoLeather in Williamsport, Md., most of her adult life. She cut, inspected, packed and shipped leather upholstery until she was laid off in June 2003 as the company scaled back local operations and shifted production to Mexico. "It's sad. It's scary. I've been a factory worker all my life, and I didn't know what I wanted to do," said Ms. Mills, a 38-year-old Williamsport resident with a teenage son. But by March 2004 she was taking a half-year course to become a state-licensed massage therapist. A federal program that helps workers who lose jobs owing...

For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use. Proponents of so-called "free" trade agreements like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which I opposed, have long promised endless riches for U.S. workers, farmers, businesses and economy. They've been wrong on all counts. Failed U.S. trade policies have led to the export of millions of high-paying American jobs; decline in U.S. living standards; soaring trade deficits; and a significant erosion of U.S. sovereignty to international trade bureaucrats. Despite this unbroken record of failure, the House is expected to vote before August on an agreement the Bush administration negotiated to...