Alabama Commissioner Encourages “Free Trade Agreement”

John McMillan, Commissioner for the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries, recently wrote President Obama and encouraged him “to submit to Congress the Free Trade Agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea,” which he asserted “would create thousands of jobs for Alabama workers and farmers and gain new markets access for Alabama products.”

Typically, I don’t “rant and rave” about issues, even if they greatly disturb me. That’s just my “style.” Rather, I endeavor to share understanding with others, and to seek and consider others’ thoughts in the process.

This is one such rare exception.

And yet, that rant is saved for last. Being last, and the fact that it is a rant doesn’t necessarily make it the best part of this entry, however. So bear that in mind as you continue to read.

With all due respect for the issue of “free trade,” I think we Americans have been exceedingly shortchanged by all such alleged “free trade deals,” so much so to the extent that we have not brought up the standard of living in other nations, but rather, have diminished ours in the process. That’s one “rising tide” that has failed to lift all boats.

So, in this instance, I must say that that public official‘s encouragement to the presidential administration to “submit the three Free Trade Agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea to Congress for ratification” so that “we can keep pace with our global economic competitors” is pure political rhetoric.

First, am I opposed to the idea of “free trade”?

No, I am not.

I am, however, opposed to unfair trade – and most such “deals” have shortchanged the American people by a long shot. One only need consider the exceedingly vast number of American manufacturing facilities that have fled from our shores, abandoning those whom made them great. Bear in mind also, that our national lawmakers were complicit in writing legislation that encouraged American manufacturers to leave America… to become “turncoat,” if you will.

Is the ideal of equality in trade or commerce bad?

No, it is not. But to ensure equality, participating parties (governments, groups of people, etc.) must create rules that are agreed upon, that establish monitoring steps and techniques, and which also provide for the punishment of violations. It’s a “we’ll watch you, while you watch us, and we we all watch together” scenario – kinda’ like regulation sports, you know.

Second, to assert that the United States needs to “keep pace with our global economic competitors” is pure hogwash, because in many – if not most- cases, the United States is the engine that drives those nations’ economy! If there is any “pace” to be kept, it is in a race toward the bottom – because the United States has led the way for many years in economy, and remains the world’s largest economic superpower – bar none!

The CIA World Factbook states this about the United States economy:

“The US has the largest and most technologically powerful economy in the world, with a per capita GDP of $47,200. In this market-oriented economy, private individuals and business firms make most of the decisions, and the federal and state governments buy needed goods and services predominantly in the private marketplace. US business firms enjoy greater flexibility than their counterparts in Western Europe and Japan in decisions to expand capital plant, to lay off surplus workers, and to develop new products. At the same time, they face higher barriers to enter their rivals’ home markets than foreign firms face entering US markets. US firms are at or near the forefront in technological advances, especially in computers and in medical, aerospace, and military equipment; their advantage has narrowed since the end of World War II.“

No… I say the FTAs are acronyms for “Fuck These Americans,” because that’s precisely what they’ve done.

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