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Andrew Straw on Free Trade |
If the unions oppose a treaty, I'm very likely to oppose it also. The federal government should be encouraging unions in every country.
I believe the IMF and the WTO are captured by large corporations and private interests. We need to have an international democratically-controlled loan and grant system that encourages unions and better standards of living.
I believe power should be accountable to the people. The more we insulate powerful institutions from democratic input, the more opportunities there are for corruption.
A: Support, so long as it results in more American jobs at higher salaries and lower costs for imports.
Q: Does NAFTA result in more American jobs at higher salaries and lower costs for imports, in your opinion?
A: I don't believe NAFTA resulted in higher American salaries, but some low-wage jobs were certainly created. It's the WalMart effect. NAFTA is a sort of constitution for North America and should be adjusted to more closely match our values. Trade flows without impediment across the 50 states and the Founders felt that this would benefit all states. Perhaps the three NAFTA nations eventually will even out. We don't know how things will be in 100 years, but maybe we can adjust NAFTA so that education and the environment are better in Mexico as a result. I would like to see a 1% tariff that would be used on Mexican schools and environmental protection.
