Barack's Protectionist Plans

It is 2008 and the Populist voices continue to garner support. In this election it has found a strong ally in the phenomenon that is Barack Obama. Over and over, Barack Obama has criticized our current free trade policies and has claimed to advocate for the American worker, and I mean that singularly. Because protectionism does just that, it gives short term aid to the few at the expense of the many. The utilization of comparitive advantage has been proven to benefit the United States. All we have to do is look at NAFTA, which Obama has promised to repeal. Since NAFTA was ratified ten years ago, The U.S. economy has added 18 million new jobs, manufacturing output has increased by 41% (opposed to 31% in the previous ten years), and trade with Mexico has tripled.

It hard to understand why politicians such as Obama continue to advocate a strange breed of mercantilism. Will someone please get this guy some coffee because he needs to wake up to the real world, a world where competition reigns supreme, a world where America thrives under competition instead of shirking away from it.

When will candidates stop playing union games and stop advocating a dying breed? Our economy is streamlining and consumers are reaping the rewards of free trade and foreign production, yet the story of the unemployed North Carolina textile worker still captivates many, but I ask you this, who will speak for the consumer, the Wal-mart shopper, the poorest of the poor, when protectionism strips dollars away? A lot less elegant than the protectionist story, but a lot bigger impact.