Mary O'Grady and OpinionJournal.com discuss the historical impact of trade barriers on Latin America and if the expansion of free trade will continue in Latin America under Barack Obama or John McCain.
Watch the video from The Wall Street Journal.
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Free trade is not a partisan issue
I generally support policies that fuel the long-term growth and health of world economies. However, although the U.S.'s size and world prominence makes it very influential in international markets and trade, I don't feel that making it easier for other countries to thrive at the expense of our own economic stability makes much sense. I think this is what Obama is trying to communicate — he wants to improve the vitality of U.S. manufacturing, industry, and trade b/c those areas have lagged and suffered in the global economy over the last decade.
We currently import more than we export. How can we re-balance our trade activity and become solvent again if we deplete more of our resources? To me the answer isn't about partisanship, as Mary O'Grady seems to suggest, and choosing one candidate over another (McCain over Obama, seems to be her preference). It's about economics and building long-term viable relationships and agreement that build the U.S. economy up from where it is now (as clearly we are experiencing a major deficit) and by so doing enhancing our ability to assist other countries when we are called upon in the future.
Trading Controversies
The current state of the U.S. economy and challenges agriculture exporters are facing provide the need to re-examine U.S.-based trade policies. Mary O'Grady's views on Obama's plans to disintegrate free-trade agreements seems skewed. In fact, in terms of NAFTA "Obama has repeatedly described himself as a free-trade proponent who wants to be a "better bargainer" on behalf of U.S. interests and wants agreements to include labor and environmental standards" (CNNmoney.com). Although the U.S. is a world leader and should engage developing countries in policies that would improve their economies, it is important for any candidate to address the problems in the U.S. first. This does not mean that the U.S. cannot find plausible ways of helping to improve Latin America's economic challenges while simultaneously providing for Americans. However, if the current downward trend in U.S. agricultural exports is not improved, the U.S. will experience long-term droughts in economic reforms, which will also affect Latin America.
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