America's economy is losing good jobs every year because of unfair trade.
Whenever I and other common-sense American citizens call for fair trade, we get branded as protectionists. Although our economy is heading toward becoming a third world nation economy and we have lost our democracy, which is going to be replaced by a socialistic government, we still have politicians, college professors, economists and other intellectuals crying about how fair trade is going to rekindle the Smoot Hartley flames.
All these educated Americans who blame the American depression in the early 1930s on the Smoot Hartley legislation, which imposed tariffs on foreign goods, are like people of yesteryear who insisted that the world was flat.
Our depression of the early 1930s was caused by manipulation of a skyrocketing stock market and the greed of the American people who thought they could borrow money to invest in the stock market, which was in reality a Ponzi scheme.
The stock market collapsed in the first depression because it was grossly over-leveraged, not because of the Smoot Hartley legislation.
What irks me the most about these yesteryear statisticians - who call any legislation to achieve fair trade protectionism and warn of the Smoot Hartley bill causing the depression - is their greed.
Then I got to thinking about these politicians, professors, economists and CNBClWall Street experts who say every piece of legislation which will insure America's fair trade is a protectionist act and then recite the Smoot Hartley bill. They are all alike.
Do you know what they all have in common? They will not lose their jobs in this rigged game called free world trade. Their jobs will not be outsourced.
These people who have job security and low prices because of no tariffs are the same self-interest groups who are against any taxes.
I classify them as "self-interest, deficits-don't-matter conservative republicans" who look at the world economy first and the American economy second. They will soon realize that deficits do matter and we must have a strong economy if we want to keep the family values that we all cherish.
My father had only two family values. First was "Provide for yourself and your family" and second was "Obey the laws of the land."
PRETTY SOON, WE PROTECTIONISTS WILL HAVE NOTHING LEFT TO PROTECT
First, I am reprinting Richard Driscoll's letter to the editor, 8/19/03.
Conned into giving our jobs and nation away
To the Editors: We have been conned into giving away our nation. No nation has ever maintained its standard of living or a prominent position in the world once it has lost its industrial base. .
The United States is rapidly losing its industrial base, it is losing its manufacturing jobs, it is losing its high-tech jobs, and it is losing its ability to be self-sufficient, all with the blessings of both political parties. Not one candidate for the office of President of the United States has stated that if elected he would stop this hemorrhaging of American jobs to overseas locations.
Richard Driscoll, Plaistow
I would like to reprint this 8/11/07 letter to the editor.
Loss of white-collar jobs hurts millions
First they came for the blue-collar jobs. I didn't care, because I had a white-collar position ("USA's new money-saving export: White-collar jobs," Cover story, Money, Tuesday).
Then they came for the computer and engineering jobs. I didn't say a word, because I had an office job. Now they're coming for my job, and there's no one left with a job to speak up.
Oh well, such is the cost of free trade.
Now, can someone please tell me how I and the millions of other displaced American workers are supposed to make our livings, raise our families, pay our mortgages and other housing expenses and send our kids to college?
I expect I will have to wait for an answer to that question until the party of the free traders and the unregulated marketplace is deservedly swept out of power.
John Woodmaska, Kearny, NJ
Do any of you "free world traders" have an answer for Mr. Driscoll or Mr. Woodmaska? If so, I would like to hear from you.
