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angrychair

(8,733 posts)
Mon May 11, 2015, 04:40 PM May 2015

Less xenophobiac and more Holistic

First, I agree that a secret trade pact leaves a bad taste in my mouth. We should care what is in it and its impact to the US economy, especially the middle and lower income earners.
That being said, I believe we should focus on the points that matter without sounding like a bunch of xenophobiac isolationist that bash other country's economies. The point is that countries like Vietnam or Bangladesh have a smaller economy with a corresponding lower bar to achieve a sustainable standard of living. The average prevailing wage will always be lower and therefore labor cost will always be lower than 1st world nations. Basic economics.
I am not saying that garment makers or any other industry, are always, if ever, paying the fair prevailing wage for their respective country, I am saying that even if they were, it would still be less than in the US or Canada. The issue of cheaper labor would still exist.
the types of standards we seek, labor and environmental, will never happen unless we bring these smaller economies into the fold by trading with them through fair and honest trade while also expecting them to adhere to labor and environmental standards that support their citizens having a healthy standard of living.

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