Trade is not conducted on a level playing field because countries that do not dump, use slave labor or allow pollutants must charge more for their goods. But the consumers in the countries that play fair look at the price tags, not the country of origin, and skew their purchases to subsidized foreign products. Inevitably, the countries that play fair will lose out. Unemployment will rise, pressure to relax environmental laws will grow, and financial well-being and civility will decline. The cheating members of the free trade group end up better off, but at the expense of the countries that play fair.
People work at jobs below their skill levels and for lower wages.
Worker shortages in a few high-profile industries or specific geographic areas hog the headlines, while more and more high school students see less reason for going on to college. We have no meaningful wage-push inflation because workers are very aware their employers can always move offshore. What we really need is fair trade. The only fault I find with Clinton's WTO stance is that he went in the right direction, but not nearly far enough. Whether you agree, disagree, or have an idea for a future column, Jim Smith and Assembly would like to hear what you think.