February 11, 2004
-
On Exporting Jobs
The liberal view:
“Outsourcing raises American productivity, gives our economy a boost, increases foreign demand for U.S. products and leaves us better off.”
– Nicholas D. Kristof
in today’s New York Times
The Perot view:
“Perot Systems, the computer services company founded by former presidential candidate Ross Perot, is all set to add about 3,500 jobs in India and move into two new facilities there this year.”
– Times of India, Feb. 7, 2004
The conservative view:
As noted by Pat Buchanan in yesterday’s entry, the conservative view is strongly anti-free-trade. This view currently seems best defended, not by Buchanan and Perot’s largely defunct Reform Party, but instead by the Communist Party… in, for instance, its incarnation as the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI). See the Committee’s World Socialist Web Site for details.
See particularly the World Socialist account of demonstrations against the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) in Miami last year:
Legal observer details police violence
against FTAA protesters in Miami.
Supporters of free-trader John Kerry might consider taking the Communists a bit more seriously this year. There is no credible challenge to Bush from the right, but a challenge to Kerry from the disgruntled left — in the form of write-ins, stay-at-homes, and votes for obscure leftist candidates — could tip a close election in Bush’s favor… as Nader did in 2000.
