How important is NAFTA as an issue ?

[kentuck]

As I recall, when it first introduced, it was promoted as a jobs plus for our economy. Of course, we would lose some low-paying jobs but we would gain more service-type jobs, related to the new computer technology? But things haven't turned out exactly that way.

Many service jobs, even accounting, have been transferred to countries like India, because of the cheap labor. They change the names of India employees from their original names to good American names like "John" or "Carol". They do it as a means to deceive, in my opinion. And the India employees that I have talked with, are not too fond of the name changes either.

As we know, almost all our manufacturing has now moved out of country. From looking at the results of NAFTA, it appears to be one of most horrific pieces of legislation ever passed. Although Bill Clinton signed the legislation, most Democrats voted against it. How do Democrats continue to defend this policy?

[Selwynn]

1. As an "issue" its not. As a reality, its a matter of life or death

at least for some people..

[corporatewhore]

2. more important than iwr NAFTA/WTO/Plan puebla de panama/etc

are just extensions of imperalism via trade and the SOA goons i think are corporate sponsered terrorists ,I have organized help to educate protested risked arrest and bodily harm becuase it is such an importan issue to me

[The Sausage of Death]

3. NAFTA was original just Canada and the US

Hey there may be more countries now, I don't know who else is in. Anybody knows? NAFTA has been good for us, how has it hurt you?

[kentuck]

4. True, but it was expanded....

with the GATT and the WTO. Why? Because corps could get even cheaper labor in China and Indonesia than in Mexico...They are probably looking for even cheaper labor than China or Indonesia as we speak. Its a race to the bottom which hurts the working people of this country. An $8 dollar an hour job is not much unless that is all you have. That is why NC is leading the nation in jobs lost per capita...and they didn't all go to Mexico..

[anti-NAFTA]

5. Canadians have been keeping their currency

at a depreciated-relative-to-the-USD for quite a while, and American manufacturers are having trouble competing with them.

I say: tariffs now.