The fair trade campaign of the labor officials has a reactionary political character.
Fair trade is economic nationalism.
Whether it is the Teamster officials trying to lock out Mexican truckers or U.S.W.A. or I.A.M. officials joining the anti-China slander campaign against imports, the effect is to put cooperation with U.S. bosses above unity with working people abroad. Instead, labor needs to mobilize the broadest solidarity around today's strikes and protests against U.S. bosses. The most logical economic nationalist is rightist politician Pat Buchanan. His cultural war targets entire layers of the working class as scapegoats for the social crisis. He especially rails against immigrant and Mexican workers and has tried to create a McCarthy witchhunt scare around Chinese spying.