Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.comment From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: Trade agreement won't make U.S. stronger Date: Sun, 8 Nov 92 15:50:37 EST Message-ID: \SE B;COMMENTARY;EDITORIAL;LETTERS \HD Trade agreement won't make U.S. stronger Had President Bush actually made the case for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) based on enhancing "the U.S. strategic position on the global battlefield," as Allen Gerson alleges Mr. Bush believes, a majority of Americans might not oppose the agreement. However, Mr. Bush talked instead about "free trade" as an airy globalist philosophy to advance a new world order rather than the U.S. national interest. As a result, most Americans do not trust the outcome of Mr. Bush's economic negotiations any more than they trusted Jimmy Carter's disarmament negotiations. Mr. Gerson's concept of strategic interests is also suspect. It takes more than geography to constitute political and cultural solidarity. Defining Mexico as part of North America does not close the gap that exists between it and the United States and Canada. Extending NAFTA farther south will only multiply these differences. Mr. Gerson talks of alliances, but alliances are only valuable if they increase the strength of the United States. Alliances can also sap U.S. strength by absorbing capital, displacing industrial workers and disrupting communities through plant closings. Mexico has kept its oil off-limits. Its other resource, unskilled labor, is something the United States already has in abundance in our urban areas. U.S. unemployment north of the border is also a source of instability. Only if we can dominate Mexico's market with large surpluses of manufactured goods can NAFTA pay off, and it is not clear this will happen under current terms. Economics is at the core of national power. NAFTA must work as a trade bloc to strengthen the United States in competition against the other industrial powers (Japan and the European Community), or it is not worth accepting. I fear Mr. Gerson's reluctance to debate NAFTA on its economic merits means he would trade away tangible economic assets for dubious Third World political ties. A losing proposition. WILLIAM R. HAWKINS Director, Economic Security Action Center U.S. Business and Industrial Council Washington This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM