"Make America Great Again"

Oh goody another pseudo-intellectual Liberal that can only understand the Trump movement if he paints every Trump supporter as a White mouth breathing Racist drone.
Do you REALLY believe that? A simple yes or no will suffice.

I believe they are all morons, yes. Every single one of them.

One of the interesting things about this election cycle is that I've actually gained a lot of respect for conservatives -- certain kinds of conservatives. I've been surprised at how many of them absolutely hate Trump. So, it makes it easy to separate the Trump supporters from the good conservatives, and every single Trump supporter does seem to be a very low-IQ, racist, bigoted reject. He really does appeal to the lowest common denominator.
Then that would be evidence that you are at a minimum delusional and possibly not very bright because it is statistically impossible for ALL of the hundreds of millions of Trump supporters around the world to fit into ANY category much less the very narrow one that you have defined.

I take it you're a Drumpf supporter....the butthurt is strong
 
This slogan is one of the most aggravating things for me about Trump's candidacy. Every time I hear it, I think, "If you don't think America is great, then get the fuck out."

I can understand why it resonates with the mouth breathing drones who support him, because really it's code for "we need to get a WHITE man in the oval office so we can 'take back our country," but I honestly think it might even be doing us harm. Candidates should never bash the country, it just looks bad. Not that Trump or his supporters care.

How about you? Do you think that America isn't great? If so, speak up. I will personally help you get the fuck out of here and find you a new home in North Korea. I will even pay for your moving expenses and even find transportation for your modular home.
Trumps a con man. Think about the people trump is appealing to. Blue collar workers who used to work for union companies or even if they weren't union companies treated their employees well. They paid them well and didn't fire the bottom ten % every year regardless of how profitable. Gone are the days you work 30 years for 1 company. They got sick days, overtime, a fair wage, unemployment insurance, etc. Corporations are moving towards temps and subcontract workers from 3rd party vendors. Corporations see workers as a cost and all they care about is shareholder profits. That's it. This wasn't always true.

Is trump going to change this? Bs.

I heard in the future 40% of Americans will be temp employees or uber drivers or real estate agents. Jobs with NO benefits
Donald Trump's union support scares Democrats; Steyer rebuke latest ...
www.washingtontimes.com/.../donald-trumps-union-support-s...
The Washington Times
May 17, 2016 - Donald Trump has said he has "tremendous support within unions," and, well, there's reason to believe he does.

AFL-CIO, unions target potential Trump voters - USA Today
www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/.../unions...trump/84902368/
USA Today
May 25, 2016 - The nation's industrial labor unions, led by the AFL-CIO, are beginning a major ... presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. ... a liability for likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, given her past support ...

Democrats Worried as Union Members Support for Trump Tops ...
www.thegatewaypundit.com/.../democrats-worried-union-members-support-trump-to...
Apr 26, 2016 - Democrats Worried as Union Members Support for Trump Tops Support for Hillary and Bernie Combined. Jim Hoft Apr 26th, 2016 5:54 pm ...

Trump reaches out to Teamsters union | TheHill
thehill.com/blogs/.../279114-trump-reaches-out-to-teamster-union-on-twitter
The Hill
May 7, 2016 - NPR reported this week on Teamsters member who normally back ... First of all, Trump hires union workers regularly, Trump pays women more ...

Why Labor Union Members Like Trump | MONEY - Time
time.com/money/4243403/why-labor-union-members-like-trump/
Time
Mar 1, 2016 - Republican U.S. Presidential candidate Donald Trump participates in ... The support Trump has drawn from union members hasn't come as a ...


Need some more UNION SUPPORT of the Donald....seems everything you write is a lie, just like your candidate CROOKED HILLARY!
No doubt his message is working on those dopes. A lot of former union workers voted themselves right out of a job here in Michigan voting for a Republican governor and then he made Michigan a right to work state.

Then they all went to work for private contractors and made more money!...DUH!
 
This slogan is one of the most aggravating things for me about Trump's candidacy. Every time I hear it, I think, "If you don't think America is great, then get the fuck out."

I can understand why it resonates with the mouth breathing drones who support him, because really it's code for "we need to get a WHITE man in the oval office so we can 'take back our country," but I honestly think it might even be doing us harm. Candidates should never bash the country, it just looks bad. Not that Trump or his supporters care.

How about you? Do you think that America isn't great? If so, speak up. I will personally help you get the fuck out of here and find you a new home in North Korea. I will even pay for your moving expenses and even find transportation for your modular home.
Trumps a con man. Think about the people trump is appealing to. Blue collar workers who used to work for union companies or even if they weren't union companies treated their employees well. They paid them well and didn't fire the bottom ten % every year regardless of how profitable. Gone are the days you work 30 years for 1 company. They got sick days, overtime, a fair wage, unemployment insurance, etc. Corporations are moving towards temps and subcontract workers from 3rd party vendors. Corporations see workers as a cost and all they care about is shareholder profits. That's it. This wasn't always true.

Is trump going to change this? Bs.

I heard in the future 40% of Americans will be temp employees or uber drivers or real estate agents. Jobs with NO benefits
Donald Trump's union support scares Democrats; Steyer rebuke latest ...
www.washingtontimes.com/.../donald-trumps-union-support-s...
The Washington Times
May 17, 2016 - Donald Trump has said he has "tremendous support within unions," and, well, there's reason to believe he does.

AFL-CIO, unions target potential Trump voters - USA Today
www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/.../unions...trump/84902368/
USA Today
May 25, 2016 - The nation's industrial labor unions, led by the AFL-CIO, are beginning a major ... presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. ... a liability for likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, given her past support ...

Democrats Worried as Union Members Support for Trump Tops ...
www.thegatewaypundit.com/.../democrats-worried-union-members-support-trump-to...
Apr 26, 2016 - Democrats Worried as Union Members Support for Trump Tops Support for Hillary and Bernie Combined. Jim Hoft Apr 26th, 2016 5:54 pm ...

Trump reaches out to Teamsters union | TheHill
thehill.com/blogs/.../279114-trump-reaches-out-to-teamster-union-on-twitter
The Hill
May 7, 2016 - NPR reported this week on Teamsters member who normally back ... First of all, Trump hires union workers regularly, Trump pays women more ...

Why Labor Union Members Like Trump | MONEY - Time
time.com/money/4243403/why-labor-union-members-like-trump/
Time
Mar 1, 2016 - Republican U.S. Presidential candidate Donald Trump participates in ... The support Trump has drawn from union members hasn't come as a ...


Need some more UNION SUPPORT of the Donald....seems everything you write is a lie, just like your candidate CROOKED HILLARY!
No doubt his message is working on those dopes. A lot of former union workers voted themselves right out of a job here in Michigan voting for a Republican governor and then he made Michigan a right to work state.

Then they all went to work for private contractors and made more money!...DUH!
Really because those are the Americans who took a huge step backward. instead of $30 at Ford they now make $10 at Walmart or a non union factory. You're either a liar or stupid.
 
Make America great again. For whom? What day gone past is the benchmark of greatness and why did we consider ourselves great then? What provisions must be eliminated or added in order for us to attain this 'greatness'?

Answer those three questions, Mr. Trump.
 
Make America great again. For whom? What day gone past is the benchmark of greatness and why did we consider ourselves great then? What provisions must be eliminated or added in order for us to attain this 'greatness'?

Answer those three questions, Mr. Trump.
What created and sustained the middle class we had for decades? In the history of the world, no country has ever produced a middle class that we enjoyed here in the United States. Today things are better in Canada or Germany for the middle class.

When Republicans try to blame Bill Clinton for NAFTA, they are trying to pretend they aren’t the ones who pushed/push for unregulated free trade. Here is what we were saying about free trade in 2004. I challenge any Republican to show me one article from 2004 that shows they were for regulating free trade or tariffs.

Democracy - Not "The Free Market" - Will Save America's Middle Class

1. There is no such thing as a "free market."

2. The "middle class" is the creation of government intervention in the marketplace, and won't exist without it (as millions of Americans and Europeans are discovering).

The conservative mantra is "let the market decide." But there is no market independent of government, so what they're really saying is, "Stop government from defending workers and building a middle class, and let the corporations decide how much to pay for labor and how to trade." But that’s insane because corporations only care about 1 thing and that’s maximizing shareholder profits. Governments set the rules of the market. And, since our government is of, by, and for We The People, those rules have historically been set to first maximize the public good resulting from people doing business. If you want to play the game of business, we've said in the US since 1784 (when Tench Coxe got the first tariffs passed "to protect domestic industries") then you have to play in a way that both makes you money AND serves the public interest.

The "middle class" is not the natural result of "free trade." Those policies will produce a small but powerful wealthy class, a small "middle" mercantilist class, and a huge and terrified worker class which have traditionally been called "serfs." The middle class is a new invention of liberal democracies, the direct result of governments defining the rules of the game of business and when domestic industries are protected from overseas competition, a middle class will emerge. When government gives up these functions, the middle class vanishes and the rich get richer.

Conservatives complained about Smoot Hawley tariffs but the main result was that American businesses now had strong financial incentives to do business with other American companies, rather than bring in products made with cheaper foreign labor: Americans started trading with other Americans. It brought jobs back to America. Most of the Founders advocated and passed tariffs to protect domestic industries and workers. We've done it before, with tariffs, anti-trust legislation, and worker protections ranging from enforcing the rights of organized labor to restricting American companies' access to cheap foreign labor through visas and tariffs. The result was the production of something never before seen in history: a strong and vibrant middle class.
 
This slogan is one of the most aggravating things for me about Trump's candidacy. Every time I hear it, I think, "If you don't think America is great, then get the fuck out."

I can understand why it resonates with the mouth breathing drones who support him, because really it's code for "we need to get a WHITE man in the oval office so we can 'take back our country," but I honestly think it might even be doing us harm. Candidates should never bash the country, it just looks bad. Not that Trump or his supporters care.

How about you? Do you think that America isn't great? If so, speak up. I will personally help you get the fuck out of here and find you a new home in North Korea. I will even pay for your moving expenses and even find transportation for your modular home.

I would get out if it were not for the fact that collectivists have ruined pretty much every government on the face of the planet.

I guess that is the great thing about collectivism. There is no where to run.
Places like Canada Germany Australia and Switzerland still value workers.

If a company needs engineers why don't they have an apprentice program? Take a chance on someone going to school. Instead they only hire people with experience.

Switzerland may be your best bet. They have the most strict immigration laws on the books, really draconian, and all the citizens own semi-automatic weapons and are trained to use them cuz they have no standing army. Add to that fact that they have all the world's money.

It's a no brainer. Go Switzerland!
Switzerland welcomes guests, but not new citizens. If you're not marrying a Swiss citizen, you have to live there for 12 years before you can begin the naturalization process. However, this does not guarantee citizenship. You have to be meet the requirements of the local canton or municipality you wish to live. Even becoming a permanent resident takes 10 years.
 
Make America great again. For whom? What day gone past is the benchmark of greatness and why did we consider ourselves great then? What provisions must be eliminated or added in order for us to attain this 'greatness'?

Answer those three questions, Mr. Trump.
What created and sustained the middle class we had for decades? In the history of the world, no country has ever produced a middle class that we enjoyed here in the United States. Today things are better in Canada or Germany for the middle class.

When Republicans try to blame Bill Clinton for NAFTA, they are trying to pretend they aren’t the ones who pushed/push for unregulated free trade. Here is what we were saying about free trade in 2004. I challenge any Republican to show me one article from 2004 that shows they were for regulating free trade or tariffs.

Democracy - Not "The Free Market" - Will Save America's Middle Class

1. There is no such thing as a "free market."

2. The "middle class" is the creation of government intervention in the marketplace, and won't exist without it (as millions of Americans and Europeans are discovering).

The conservative mantra is "let the market decide." But there is no market independent of government, so what they're really saying is, "Stop government from defending workers and building a middle class, and let the corporations decide how much to pay for labor and how to trade." But that’s insane because corporations only care about 1 thing and that’s maximizing shareholder profits. Governments set the rules of the market. And, since our government is of, by, and for We The People, those rules have historically been set to first maximize the public good resulting from people doing business. If you want to play the game of business, we've said in the US since 1784 (when Tench Coxe got the first tariffs passed "to protect domestic industries") then you have to play in a way that both makes you money AND serves the public interest.

The "middle class" is not the natural result of "free trade." Those policies will produce a small but powerful wealthy class, a small "middle" mercantilist class, and a huge and terrified worker class which have traditionally been called "serfs." The middle class is a new invention of liberal democracies, the direct result of governments defining the rules of the game of business and when domestic industries are protected from overseas competition, a middle class will emerge. When government gives up these functions, the middle class vanishes and the rich get richer.

Conservatives complained about Smoot Hawley tariffs but the main result was that American businesses now had strong financial incentives to do business with other American companies, rather than bring in products made with cheaper foreign labor: Americans started trading with other Americans. It brought jobs back to America. Most of the Founders advocated and passed tariffs to protect domestic industries and workers. We've done it before, with tariffs, anti-trust legislation, and worker protections ranging from enforcing the rights of organized labor to restricting American companies' access to cheap foreign labor through visas and tariffs. The result was the production of something never before seen in history: a strong and vibrant middle class.
NAFTA was negotiated under George H. Bush. The agreement was signed in Dec. 1992, prior to Bill Clinton taking office. Although Bill Clinton supported it, the agreement was a product of the Bush administration and was strongly supported by Republicans. Over the last 20 years free trade agreements have become a escape goat for most of Americans problems, ignoring the benefits.
 
Make America great again. For whom? What day gone past is the benchmark of greatness and why did we consider ourselves great then? What provisions must be eliminated or added in order for us to attain this 'greatness'?

Answer those three questions, Mr. Trump.
What created and sustained the middle class we had for decades? In the history of the world, no country has ever produced a middle class that we enjoyed here in the United States. Today things are better in Canada or Germany for the middle class.

When Republicans try to blame Bill Clinton for NAFTA, they are trying to pretend they aren’t the ones who pushed/push for unregulated free trade. Here is what we were saying about free trade in 2004. I challenge any Republican to show me one article from 2004 that shows they were for regulating free trade or tariffs.

Democracy - Not "The Free Market" - Will Save America's Middle Class

1. There is no such thing as a "free market."

2. The "middle class" is the creation of government intervention in the marketplace, and won't exist without it (as millions of Americans and Europeans are discovering).

The conservative mantra is "let the market decide." But there is no market independent of government, so what they're really saying is, "Stop government from defending workers and building a middle class, and let the corporations decide how much to pay for labor and how to trade." But that’s insane because corporations only care about 1 thing and that’s maximizing shareholder profits. Governments set the rules of the market. And, since our government is of, by, and for We The People, those rules have historically been set to first maximize the public good resulting from people doing business. If you want to play the game of business, we've said in the US since 1784 (when Tench Coxe got the first tariffs passed "to protect domestic industries") then you have to play in a way that both makes you money AND serves the public interest.

The "middle class" is not the natural result of "free trade." Those policies will produce a small but powerful wealthy class, a small "middle" mercantilist class, and a huge and terrified worker class which have traditionally been called "serfs." The middle class is a new invention of liberal democracies, the direct result of governments defining the rules of the game of business and when domestic industries are protected from overseas competition, a middle class will emerge. When government gives up these functions, the middle class vanishes and the rich get richer.

Conservatives complained about Smoot Hawley tariffs but the main result was that American businesses now had strong financial incentives to do business with other American companies, rather than bring in products made with cheaper foreign labor: Americans started trading with other Americans. It brought jobs back to America. Most of the Founders advocated and passed tariffs to protect domestic industries and workers. We've done it before, with tariffs, anti-trust legislation, and worker protections ranging from enforcing the rights of organized labor to restricting American companies' access to cheap foreign labor through visas and tariffs. The result was the production of something never before seen in history: a strong and vibrant middle class.
NAFTA was negotiated under George H. Bush. The agreement was signed in Dec. 1992, prior to Bill Clinton taking office. Although Bill Clinton supported it, the agreement was a product of the Bush administration and was strongly supported by Republicans. Over the last 20 years free trade agreements have become a escape goat for most of Americans problems, ignoring the benefits.
Exactly. I'm not against free trade with the rest of the world. But "they've" gone too far. Why? Because American workers were the highest paid in the world. If you want to kill something the easiest way is to go for the head. The labor movement started in America.

Sing this: "If you can break it here you can break it anywhere it's up to you, new york new york."
 
Make America great again. For whom? What day gone past is the benchmark of greatness and why did we consider ourselves great then? What provisions must be eliminated or added in order for us to attain this 'greatness'?

Answer those three questions, Mr. Trump.

Got the answer right here.

 
Make America great again. For whom? What day gone past is the benchmark of greatness and why did we consider ourselves great then? What provisions must be eliminated or added in order for us to attain this 'greatness'?

Answer those three questions, Mr. Trump.
What created and sustained the middle class we had for decades? In the history of the world, no country has ever produced a middle class that we enjoyed here in the United States. Today things are better in Canada or Germany for the middle class.

When Republicans try to blame Bill Clinton for NAFTA, they are trying to pretend they aren’t the ones who pushed/push for unregulated free trade. Here is what we were saying about free trade in 2004. I challenge any Republican to show me one article from 2004 that shows they were for regulating free trade or tariffs.

Democracy - Not "The Free Market" - Will Save America's Middle Class

1. There is no such thing as a "free market."

2. The "middle class" is the creation of government intervention in the marketplace, and won't exist without it (as millions of Americans and Europeans are discovering).

The conservative mantra is "let the market decide." But there is no market independent of government, so what they're really saying is, "Stop government from defending workers and building a middle class, and let the corporations decide how much to pay for labor and how to trade." But that’s insane because corporations only care about 1 thing and that’s maximizing shareholder profits. Governments set the rules of the market. And, since our government is of, by, and for We The People, those rules have historically been set to first maximize the public good resulting from people doing business. If you want to play the game of business, we've said in the US since 1784 (when Tench Coxe got the first tariffs passed "to protect domestic industries") then you have to play in a way that both makes you money AND serves the public interest.

The "middle class" is not the natural result of "free trade." Those policies will produce a small but powerful wealthy class, a small "middle" mercantilist class, and a huge and terrified worker class which have traditionally been called "serfs." The middle class is a new invention of liberal democracies, the direct result of governments defining the rules of the game of business and when domestic industries are protected from overseas competition, a middle class will emerge. When government gives up these functions, the middle class vanishes and the rich get richer.

Conservatives complained about Smoot Hawley tariffs but the main result was that American businesses now had strong financial incentives to do business with other American companies, rather than bring in products made with cheaper foreign labor: Americans started trading with other Americans. It brought jobs back to America. Most of the Founders advocated and passed tariffs to protect domestic industries and workers. We've done it before, with tariffs, anti-trust legislation, and worker protections ranging from enforcing the rights of organized labor to restricting American companies' access to cheap foreign labor through visas and tariffs. The result was the production of something never before seen in history: a strong and vibrant middle class.
NAFTA was negotiated under George H. Bush. The agreement was signed in Dec. 1992, prior to Bill Clinton taking office. Although Bill Clinton supported it, the agreement was a product of the Bush administration and was strongly supported by Republicans. Over the last 20 years free trade agreements have become a escape goat for most of Americans problems, ignoring the benefits.
Exactly. I'm not against free trade with the rest of the world. But "they've" gone too far. Why? Because American workers were the highest paid in the world. If you want to kill something the easiest way is to go for the head. The labor movement started in America.

Sing this: "If you can break it here you can break it anywhere it's up to you, new york new york."
You can't have the benefits of free trade without giving up something. And that something is low skilled workers being being paid $20/hr for work that can be done just as well abroad for $2/hr. Where the country has fallen down, is job creation in the US, providing education, training and assistance to help people migrate to good jobs in the US. Free trade is good not just for big business but everyone. We just have to make sure people that are displaced have jobs.

The US can't reject free trade agreements and turn the clock back 50 years because our products would not be competitive in world market place.
 
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Make America great again. For whom? What day gone past is the benchmark of greatness and why did we consider ourselves great then? What provisions must be eliminated or added in order for us to attain this 'greatness'?

Answer those three questions, Mr. Trump.
What created and sustained the middle class we had for decades? In the history of the world, no country has ever produced a middle class that we enjoyed here in the United States. Today things are better in Canada or Germany for the middle class.

When Republicans try to blame Bill Clinton for NAFTA, they are trying to pretend they aren’t the ones who pushed/push for unregulated free trade. Here is what we were saying about free trade in 2004. I challenge any Republican to show me one article from 2004 that shows they were for regulating free trade or tariffs.

Democracy - Not "The Free Market" - Will Save America's Middle Class

1. There is no such thing as a "free market."

2. The "middle class" is the creation of government intervention in the marketplace, and won't exist without it (as millions of Americans and Europeans are discovering).

The conservative mantra is "let the market decide." But there is no market independent of government, so what they're really saying is, "Stop government from defending workers and building a middle class, and let the corporations decide how much to pay for labor and how to trade." But that’s insane because corporations only care about 1 thing and that’s maximizing shareholder profits. Governments set the rules of the market. And, since our government is of, by, and for We The People, those rules have historically been set to first maximize the public good resulting from people doing business. If you want to play the game of business, we've said in the US since 1784 (when Tench Coxe got the first tariffs passed "to protect domestic industries") then you have to play in a way that both makes you money AND serves the public interest.

The "middle class" is not the natural result of "free trade." Those policies will produce a small but powerful wealthy class, a small "middle" mercantilist class, and a huge and terrified worker class which have traditionally been called "serfs." The middle class is a new invention of liberal democracies, the direct result of governments defining the rules of the game of business and when domestic industries are protected from overseas competition, a middle class will emerge. When government gives up these functions, the middle class vanishes and the rich get richer.

Conservatives complained about Smoot Hawley tariffs but the main result was that American businesses now had strong financial incentives to do business with other American companies, rather than bring in products made with cheaper foreign labor: Americans started trading with other Americans. It brought jobs back to America. Most of the Founders advocated and passed tariffs to protect domestic industries and workers. We've done it before, with tariffs, anti-trust legislation, and worker protections ranging from enforcing the rights of organized labor to restricting American companies' access to cheap foreign labor through visas and tariffs. The result was the production of something never before seen in history: a strong and vibrant middle class.
NAFTA was negotiated under George H. Bush. The agreement was signed in Dec. 1992, prior to Bill Clinton taking office. Although Bill Clinton supported it, the agreement was a product of the Bush administration and was strongly supported by Republicans. Over the last 20 years free trade agreements have become a escape goat for most of Americans problems, ignoring the benefits.
Exactly. I'm not against free trade with the rest of the world. But "they've" gone too far. Why? Because American workers were the highest paid in the world. If you want to kill something the easiest way is to go for the head. The labor movement started in America.

Sing this: "If you can break it here you can break it anywhere it's up to you, new york new york."
You can't have the benefits of free trade without giving up something. And that something is low skilled workers being being paid $20/hr for work that can be done just as well abroad for $2/hr. Where the country has fallen down, is job creation in the US, providing education, training and assistance to help people migrate to good jobs in the US. Free trade is good not just for big business but everyone. We just have to make sure people that are displaced have jobs.

The US can't reject free trade agreements and turn the clock back 50 years because our products would not be competitive in world market place.
I agree however every other country protects it's vital industries and workers. Those governments don't only serve corporate shareholders.

It's not too late with manufacturing. What we have now only works for the rich
 
Make America great again. For whom? What day gone past is the benchmark of greatness and why did we consider ourselves great then? What provisions must be eliminated or added in order for us to attain this 'greatness'?

Answer those three questions, Mr. Trump.
What created and sustained the middle class we had for decades? In the history of the world, no country has ever produced a middle class that we enjoyed here in the United States. Today things are better in Canada or Germany for the middle class.

When Republicans try to blame Bill Clinton for NAFTA, they are trying to pretend they aren’t the ones who pushed/push for unregulated free trade. Here is what we were saying about free trade in 2004. I challenge any Republican to show me one article from 2004 that shows they were for regulating free trade or tariffs.

Democracy - Not "The Free Market" - Will Save America's Middle Class

1. There is no such thing as a "free market."

2. The "middle class" is the creation of government intervention in the marketplace, and won't exist without it (as millions of Americans and Europeans are discovering).

The conservative mantra is "let the market decide." But there is no market independent of government, so what they're really saying is, "Stop government from defending workers and building a middle class, and let the corporations decide how much to pay for labor and how to trade." But that’s insane because corporations only care about 1 thing and that’s maximizing shareholder profits. Governments set the rules of the market. And, since our government is of, by, and for We The People, those rules have historically been set to first maximize the public good resulting from people doing business. If you want to play the game of business, we've said in the US since 1784 (when Tench Coxe got the first tariffs passed "to protect domestic industries") then you have to play in a way that both makes you money AND serves the public interest.

The "middle class" is not the natural result of "free trade." Those policies will produce a small but powerful wealthy class, a small "middle" mercantilist class, and a huge and terrified worker class which have traditionally been called "serfs." The middle class is a new invention of liberal democracies, the direct result of governments defining the rules of the game of business and when domestic industries are protected from overseas competition, a middle class will emerge. When government gives up these functions, the middle class vanishes and the rich get richer.

Conservatives complained about Smoot Hawley tariffs but the main result was that American businesses now had strong financial incentives to do business with other American companies, rather than bring in products made with cheaper foreign labor: Americans started trading with other Americans. It brought jobs back to America. Most of the Founders advocated and passed tariffs to protect domestic industries and workers. We've done it before, with tariffs, anti-trust legislation, and worker protections ranging from enforcing the rights of organized labor to restricting American companies' access to cheap foreign labor through visas and tariffs. The result was the production of something never before seen in history: a strong and vibrant middle class.
NAFTA was negotiated under George H. Bush. The agreement was signed in Dec. 1992, prior to Bill Clinton taking office. Although Bill Clinton supported it, the agreement was a product of the Bush administration and was strongly supported by Republicans. Over the last 20 years free trade agreements have become a escape goat for most of Americans problems, ignoring the benefits.
Exactly. I'm not against free trade with the rest of the world. But "they've" gone too far. Why? Because American workers were the highest paid in the world. If you want to kill something the easiest way is to go for the head. The labor movement started in America.

Sing this: "If you can break it here you can break it anywhere it's up to you, new york new york."
You can't have the benefits of free trade without giving up something. And that something is low skilled workers being being paid $20/hr for work that can be done just as well abroad for $2/hr. Where the country has fallen down, is job creation in the US, providing education, training and assistance to help people migrate to good jobs in the US. Free trade is good not just for big business but everyone. We just have to make sure people that are displaced have jobs.

The US can't reject free trade agreements and turn the clock back 50 years because our products would not be competitive in world market place.
I agree however every other country protects it's vital industries and workers. Those governments don't only serve corporate shareholders.

It's not too late with manufacturing. What we have now only works for the rich
There are pros and cons in NAFTA like all trade treaties. In order to get something, you often have to give up something. The anti-immigration climate and the need for political scapegoats has overshadowed most of the economic gains in NAFTA.

One of the major goals of NAFTA was to raise employment and wages of Mexican workers, thus reducing illegal immigration into the US. This never happened. Although, tariffs were dropped, cumbersome regulations by all participants have hindered trade. Job creation in both the US and Mexico have been a big plus for both countries. However, the outsourcing of jobs to Southeast Asia has overshadowed job creation in the US due to NAFTA.

One thing that is not in NAFTA that is in other trade treaties, is fair labor standards. The treaty should be renegotiated to insure that all workers have a livable wage, safe working conditions, healthcare benefits, retirement, etc. This will go a long way toward eliminating the wage gap between the US and Mexico and reducing illegal immigration.
 

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