Free Trade and the Presidential Election

from Lozano, Tanya.

http://www.npr.org/templates/player/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=92151801&m=92151777

The issue of free trade has come up often in the presidential election. According to John Bussey fro the Wall Street Journal, Senator Mccain perspective is that it is beneficial for the U.S. Mccain says it is an effective way to extend foreign policy. Senator Obama on the other hand, says violence against unions would make a mockery of the very labor protections that would be included in these types of agreements.

Mccain also says NAFTA is good for U.S. job growth, and would result in more business globally. There are a lot of big corporations backing Senator Mccain because they gain allot of profit abroad. Although this brings about the issue of immigration reform that both these candidates seem to be pushing under the rug.

Because of the free trade agreement small farmers are being put out of business and forced to migrate to the U.S. in order to support their families. Because of the flood of undocumented labor the unemployment rates begin to increase for U.S. citizens. So when Mccain says free trade is good for U.S. job growth, who is he talking about? Mccain says it's beneficial for the U.S. because the U.S. is gaining profit from cheap labor from the undocumented. Although both candidate seem to keep their plans for immigration reform under wraps, they have both stated they are in favor of some kind of reform.