Decision ‘08

The Shame Of The Ignorance Peddlers

Frequent readers know that I am an unapologetic 100% free-trader. I’ve made the case elsewhere, so here I will simply state that no movement in human history has improved the lot of so many as the development of trade, particularly in the modern democratic, capitalist sense. And yet America, a country that has benefited more than any other from its own brand of about 80% pure capitalism, is sliding into the economic dark ages.

The headline on the latest Pew poll is about slipping support for Obama, but the bombshell is buried in the fine print:

With public views of the national economy continuing to be quite negative, Americans now are taking a much more critical view of free trade agreements. Nearly half of Americans (48%) say that the World Trade Organization and free trade agreements such as NAFTA have been bad for the country; 35% say such agreements have been good for the United States. This is the first time a plurality has expressed a negative view of the impact of free trade agreements since the question was first asked a decade ago.

An increasing number of Americans also say that their personal financial situation has been hurt by free trade agreements. The proportion expressing this opinion has increased by 12 points since December 2006.

Most Americans now say that free trade agreements lead to job losses (61%) and make workers’ wages lower (56%); both percentages are up sharply from 2006. In addition, half of the public says that free trade agreements make the economy slow down, an increase of 16 points since 2006.

Appalling is the only suitable word. Free trade agreements make the economy slow down? Who is to blame for this widespread knuckleheadedness?

We can blame Americans themselves, of course, for caring more about ‘racy’ Miley Cyrus pics than educating themselves; we can blame the education system, woefully light on real economics at any level lower than college; we can blame Republicans, for not preaching their convictions more forcefully; and we can blame the Democrats.

Oh, heavens, yes, we can blame the Democrats. The ‘progressive’, populist, pander-filled view of the economy, as espoused by such intellectual heavyweights as the cornpone-spewing Jim Hightower and the 0 for 7 presidential candidate adviser Bob Shrum, has won the day for sure when we see such spectacles as Hillary Clinton groveling in front of union-heavy blue-collar states by slamming one of the signature highlights of her husband’s administration, the NAFTA Free Trade Agreement, pretending that if only NAFTA were modified, the delightful job fairy would come back and make all those $65 an hour United Auto Worker salaries return, on the back of Puff the Magic Dragon, no doubt…

Pardon me while I go see if my oven is sufficiently large for my head to fit into…

9 Responses to “The Shame Of The Ignorance Peddlers”

1 Gulf Coast Bandit Says:
May 1st, 2008 at 10:49 pm
Going all Sylvia Plath on us, Mark?
Although after that poll, I don’t blame you…
2 Aaron Says:
May 1st, 2008 at 11:17 pm
You left out Lou Dobbs. The man actually uses the word “populist” as a positive adjective and he spews his ignorance in Americans’ faces every weeknight for an hour.
3 Mark Says:
May 1st, 2008 at 11:17 pm
Oh, God, spare me from Lou Dobbs…what a moron…
4 Ryan Says:
May 2nd, 2008 at 12:20 pm
This is cart before the horse. Democrats aren’t making Americans skeptical of trade; they’re reacting to the fact that Americans are skeptical of trade. It’s pandering, not miseducation. That may not be any better, but I’m just saying.
5 Mark Says:
May 3rd, 2008 at 4:06 am
I think it’s some of both. The Democrats (some, not all) have been peddling ‘progressive’ anti-globalism since way before the current crisis…
6 Jacques Distler Says:
May 5th, 2008 at 1:05 am
When it comes to ignorance-peddling, the gas-tax-holiday wins hands-down.

Needless to say, no one seems particularly suprised that John McCain would propose that piece of shameless flimflam (after all, he freely admits to not having much of a grasp of Economics). But many people are quite disappointed at Hillary Clinton’s shameless embrace of ignorance.

P.S.: I’m still a little disappointed that your spam filter swallowed (apparently permanently) my second comment on your “how to lose an election…” post.
7 Mark Says:
May 5th, 2008 at 7:59 pm
Jacques, I’m sorry you’re having such troubles with the filter…I’ll look for it again (though I know it’s not the same as having it posted when the comments are fresh).

As to the gas-tax holiday - no argument whatsoever. Shame on Hillary AND McCain for that blatant bit of useless pandering…
8 Mark Says:
May 5th, 2008 at 8:05 pm
Okay, recovered the second comment - and I think I know why at least THIS one was flagged. It had four links in it, and the filter is set to spam anything with more than three. Makes it a pain in the butt, I know…but to Jacques and all my other readers who might read this, if you have more than three hyperlinks, post in two posts…it might seem overkill, but before I raised the severity of my filter, I was getting hit with dozens of spam comments a day that were getting through…usually after I raise the severity, I can get away with lowering it again after a bit, so maybe I’ll take it down a notch soon…
9 Jacques Distler Says:
May 5th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
No problem Mark. As long as I know what the rules are, I think I can adhere to them. 3 links it is, then, …