Debate Win: Obama or McCain?

[carolaa]

It's because they are tired of U.S. setting up our puppet governments in their countries. They are tired of U.S. trashing their environment. And jobs probably has something to do with it; we would do the same thing.

[Dr. Shane]

That is not correct. Please name the "puppet" government the US has set up in Canada, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Chile, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador and Bolivia. These are the countries we have negociated free-trade agreements with.

These countries are not concerned about us "trashing their environment". They control their own environmental regulations. They are more than willing for our factories to relocate there. What some of them don't want is manufactured goods from America to be imported and sold without import taxes levied on them. They fear the United States' ability to manufacture goods cheaper then they can and sell our cheap goods in their country thus costing them jobs.

[carolaa]

Of course they are afraid of the U.S.'s ability to manufacture cheaper goods! The cheaper goods are one thing, but cheaper food is another. They see what we've done to Haiti and other countries, several of which you listed. We forced Haiti's farmers out of business and now the population is starving. We insisted that South Korea take our beef, even though they didn't want it. This is our m.o. all over the world. Our trade agreements are not "free." There is a huge price to pay - whether they "agree" or not. That's why some have decided to band together, so they can be a stronger force to reject our bullying.

It is true that some governments may cave in to us when it comes to trashing their environment, but more and more grassroots opposition is rising up to fight it. The people do not want us there. And why is that, if we are such a force for good?

Some people misunderstand me and think I like to bash America. Not true. I love America. But I resent the fact that I was raised with the propaganda of how we are such a force for good in the world, when we really act no better or different than other countries trying to build their empires.

Some good authors on the subject are Howard Zinn, Stephen Kinzer, and John Perkins. They have a little different perspective on our role in the world. Yes, they are pretty one-sided, but it's a good balance to the one-sided stuff I usually hear. They have answered my questions about why the rest of the world doesn't love us if we are as great as we think we are.

[Dr. Shane]

The people that do not want us are a minority. These countries are democracies and if the people didn't want us there we wouldn't be there. I live on the Mexican border and have family in El Salvador and Costa Rica. This beef that we are "forcing" on other countries means that people there that cannot normally afford to eat beef are able to barbecue a t-bone. Is that a privilege to be reserved only for rich Americans?

Free trade is good for the consumers. It is not good for the fat-cat establishment that wants to keep the money rolling in. It is good for all consumers in all countries participating. Once upon a time towns were divided by railroad tracks. The poor folks lived on one side of the tracks and the rich folks lived on the other side of the tracks. Politicians worked to keep the poor side poor and the rich side rich. Today the poor and the rich are divided by borders. There are rich nations and poor nations. Free-trade agreements work to spread the wealth. The common folks in both countries benefit.

When I was dating my wife few people in her home country had microwaves. People with televisions or refrigerators bought them by financing them. This was because these items were all imported with very large import taxes placed on them. Now, with free-trade practices most homes have televisions, refrigerators and microwaves. Ten years ago the cheapest microwave I could find there was $270. It was one of the very tiny ones. The same microwave there now sells for about $80.

[carolaa]

I'm not saying that ALL trade agreements are evil. But many are, and the common people, of course, will get some benefits from them, but in the long run they will pay dearly.