Our Government at Work

Let me see if I understand how this NAFTA free trade thing works. United States companies were selling their products at a price that covered the cost of American workers who were making a decent wage.

President Clinton and the Congress decided they could help the American people live better lives by introducing us to NAFTA, free trade. President Bush also thinks this is a winner since entering into numerous trade agreements with third world countries which have very cheap labor.

With the advent of NAFTA, free trade agreements made by these sages in government, companies were able to save money by firing their employees in the United States, while outsourcing the manufacturing of their products at a much lower cost in other countries like Mexico and China. This would, of course, be to our benefit since we could now purchase the items at a much lower cost saving us bundles of money. Plus, we wouldn’t have to go to all the trouble of manufacturing in our country, things like steel, automobiles, glass, toys, drugs and many other items.

But, wait! Something went wrong somewhere. The products turned out to be dangerous, of poor quality and sell for as much or more than they did before NAFTA. Most of the products we buy are manufactured in China. Please, someone, tell me, for example, why a golf club made in China should cost $500.00 in the U.S.? This is more than they used to cost. What went wrong?

But, please don’t blame our president and congress. They think they are doing the best they can to make our lives better.

Or, are they part of a plot to destroy our country???