Walter, you have to understand that support for "free" trade is a losing issue, that is one reason why Bush is not doing as well as he should against Kerry, and De Mints support for "free" Trade will hurt him among working class conservatives.
I have no problem with some protectionism, because it is in many ways, a defense of the borders of the US, the likes of DeMint support the sending of jobs and technology to red China. My hope with a Bush loss, the "free" trade elemnets will exit the party.
Great, so the working class will be making $15 an hour labouring in some factory, instead of $10 an hour in some office or restaurant, and the net result is everything costs the consumer (me) twice as much.
But while I find the economics disturbing, I have to admit protectionism tends to win over the simpler sort of voter.
The problem is that the supporters of free trade are usually the people most opposed to rectifying its bad effects.
I am in favor of free trade if the government makes sure that the people who lose their jobs because of it are taken care of, through increased welfare and unemployment benefits, and a much higher minimum wage.
If businesses and consumers benefit from free trade, they shouldn't mind paying a portion of this benefit (in the form of higher taxes) to compensate those who lose out from it.
