Who defines "Free Trade"?

[WhiskeyGirl]

Who defines Free Trade?

Who makes up the rules?

Business on Main Street?

Global businesses?

Workers live on Main Street in our town, city, or village?  Politicians, thousands of miles away?  Politicians that don't answer to you, your community, or your nation?

Who decides when trade is free?  Fair?

Why aren't these decisions left to all the little people?  On every Main Street? 

Should politicians look out for the best interests of people in their communities?  Global businesses?

[WhiskeyGirl]

I keep hearing from some, including politicians that "Americans must learn to compete in the global economy." 

Why? 

Does it make sense to burn fossil fuels to transport goods from one nation to another?  The importing nation has millions of unemployed?

How can Americans complete?

Educate young people for jobs that do not exist?  Aren't being created?

Reeducate older jobless people?  People that already have advanced degrees?  Science degrees?  Can't find a job in an economy that isn't creating meaningful jobs?  Jobs that will add to the prosperity of the nation as a whole?

[WhiskeyGirl]

How can there be "Free Trade" when Americans are burdened with taxes, regulations, and expenses that aren't a burden for foreign workers?

Here are a few burdens that come to mind -

Endless welfare benefits for illegal aliens and their families.  Including the following: Medicaid, food stamps, housing, education, WIC, jobs in the underground economy, energy assistance, Social Security, free tuition...and they keep coming.  Anyone wonder why?  Who pays for all these benefits?  Is responsible for the debt they create?  These folks can return to their country or origin.  They have an escape hatch, millions of Americans do not.

Obamacare - How much are insurance premiums going up for the average worker?  30%?  50%? 

Some workers will now be burdened with a one size fits all Obamacare plan.  They'll be paying for benefits they don't need, don't want, and will never use.  Who benefits from all the revenue?  Illegal aliens?  Union workers?

Obamacare Reinsurance - All these new American $10/hr competitive jobs get stuck pay for union retirees (and perhaps others) under Obamacare.  A penny, paying for the $10 benefits of others.  A penny, carrying the burden of the $10/hr Cadillac plan, like union folks and folks on Wall St. receive. 

How is this fair in any world?  How does this Obamacare fee/regulation/tax make Americans competitive?  Enable American workers to engage in 'free trade' with other nations?

What's 'free' about trade when your own government is beating you to death with legislation, regulation, taxation, and fees?   In what world is this fair to anyone in America?

What about other Washington burdens on the working classes that make up Main Street?

Cap & Tax?  Bankrupting energy producers?  Hyperinflation?  EPA regulations?

How is any of this making America competitive?  Enabling 'free trade'?

[WhiskeyGirl]

Who really benefits from 'Free Trade'?  Are they paying their 'fair share' for all of Washington's burdens on the common man?  The working stiff on Main Street?  The little guy trying to get by on his $10/hr job and DeathcareObamacare? 

What comes to mind?

Large global businesses that move their 'business' from one low cost country to another?  Use workers that labor under slave like conditions and don't get the same wages and benefits as Americans?

A government that buys votes with Monopoly money, formerly known as the US Dollar, because 'we' have to redistribute money to people who are likely to spend it?

What exactly are they supporting with their spending habit?  Large global corporation?  I don't think they're supporting Main Street.

What about the folks on Main Street?  The ones making $10 an hour and without the benefit of welfare $$$ Obamacash?  How much do they have left over to buy all these low cost trinkets?  I would imagine, not much after the government confiscates their money.

just my humle opinions

[WhiskeyGirl]

I read a long time ago (or maybe I saw this on tv) that the war for independence was really a trade war.  Americans couldn't compete with England due to the British government, the King.

Americans were only allowed to produce a limited number of items, and were forced to buy goods from just a few providers - sanctions by the government thousands of miles away.  Taxes were high, Americans had to pay for all the benefits provided by the crown.  Americans weren't allowed to produce good for themselves, and for the benefit of their communities.

Today, there exists the same kind of problem.  Only the Crown moved to Washington.

"Free Trade" isn't "Fair Trade"

What kind of nation doesn't allow it's own people to produce?  Would rather support global corporations rather than the little people on Main Street?

Why do so many talk about the illegals living in the shadows of America, when these folks are often eligible for all kinds of welfare and other benefits for themselves and their families, in addition to their tax free wages?  Their wages using false documents?  Phony names?  Social Security numbers?

Others, in foreign nations work without benefits, good wages, and all the other blessings of Washington?

In what world will Americans ever compete with global slaves when Washington politicians keep adding to the financial burden that is already breaking their back?

Washington's burdens on Main Street does seem to make global corporations poor.  Large corporations that don't seem to pay taxes to anyone, but seem to make millions/billions for the elite.  Why would they ever 'return' that money home to invest in America when Obama keeps raising taxes, passing Obamacare taxes/fees/financial burderns, EPA financial burdens?  Union burdens?

Why do the Kings and Court in Washington think that Americans aren't worthy of a good life?  Prosperity?  Only the elite globalists deserve riches?  Security?

just my humble opinions