Friday, November 17, 2006  International Trade  First, a brief
announcement. My posting may be eratic for the next 10 days or
so, and I may disappear entirely until the 27th of November.
However, at the end of the time I hope to be able to offer some
of my writings in a book form, for those who would be
interested.  Now for today's posting.  I want to discuss free
trade - such as represented by the NAFTA and LAFTA treaties. I
am going to argue in principle in defense of these treaties, as
long as they contain provisions to protect workers and the
environment - the latter being understood as protecting people
from indirect harm.  I am very much in favor of free trade.
However, this is one area where a lot of people confuse being
pro-business and pro-market.  Here is one difference.  Under the
treaty, a business fires their high-priced workers in America,
goes to another country, hires their people for pennies, builds
a factory, produces goods, and pockets huge profits as a result.
Or, alternatively, the busin