You reference, as does TK, the "corrupt" nature of our negotiators (I guess you mean trade negotiators?) driven by kickbacks. Have I missed some great investigative article out there recently - seriously? I've been pretty close personally over the years with a number of people who have spent the better part of their careers working on different aspects of trade negotiation for the government. For the most part, they are incredible people in that they have extremely demanding work that is rarely recognized. I may not agree philosophically with all of them as in any area of life, there can be a range of beliefs across any group of people. However, I have never seen anything to suggest that these aren't folks of the highest personal integrity. Maybe there is some random example that can happen anywhere, but I'm seeing this reference from both TK and now in your post to trade negotiator "kickbacks". What is this even supposed to mean?

As far as jobs that have moved to atrociously low places regarding living standards -- cost of labor is a part of trade. Of course, always a difficult balance in terms of not wanting to somehow "reward" countries while bad things continue inside their borders and no doubt this is an ongoing challenge. However, I think we have seen some of the positive aspects of trade like this play out even within our lifetimes. It is absolutely undeniable that in China, for example, wages have increased as they have engaged the world more with trade and this leads to other effects that over time are much more positive than negative throughout their society. I don't have the link handy, but the U.S. has seen exponential export growth to China over the last several years -- not only showing their increasing economic standards (with a very long way to go obviously) but with the benefit of helping spur on certain other industries in both service and manufacturing sectors in the U.S. to help serve that growth. China is also experiencing labor issues as in a growing number of areas, labor is moving from lower wage companies to higher wage ones and Chinese companies are facing pressure to keep up. China really isn't even considered the lowest cost manufacturing spot in the world in the same was it was for a long time. Sure, it is still a major low-cost player although part of its growth is now driven more by companies manufacturing over there specifically for Chinese consumers, not just to import back to this country. This alone has also had the effect of putting pressure on their currency changes more than probably any other policy imaginable. Those who say this kind of change hasn't happened over the past 5-10 years are denying facts. Again -- all things perfect, no way. But it is part of the process and it doesn't happen literally overnight. Brazil and India -- different fact scenarios -- each with their own set of issues. However, I don't think anybody puts it more articulately than Milton Friedman when he asks what single mechanism has ever throughout history has shown to have a more beneficial effect exactly in these areas.


[Post edited by fishhoo at 04/27/2016 11:03AM]