The wisdom of crowds. NAFTA is, in the context of free trade, rightly unpopular. Because it isn't free trade. From a market point of view Mexico could profit more if it traded more with Europa and Soutern-America than with the U.S. Wherever it's comparative advantage is. But this process is blocked by NAFTA and it's "rules of origin". And so we have trade diversion, instead of free trade, which could leave a country like Mexico worse off.

I think it's the difference between supporting globalization and supporting "globalization."

I wtie in telegram form as more efficient.

Economics is a set of archaic,fallacious theories. There is no free trade, no invisible hand,
rational people making rational choices, etc. Those theories are ruining the United States.

Protectionism? We must devise some smart ways to protect this nation, our nation, other than militarily. [Just as we must protect our borders, restrict and filter out people as another key to protecting this nation, our nation.]

I am not alone in saying that allowing our technological prowess, industrial, and research to decline is totally disgusting. It's only a matter of a short period before it all hits the fan, it may be too late in my view. There's too much funny money out there as investment. Trade deficits are too large. Another piece of the picture is the number of foreign countries which have purchased U.S.companies. There's been a fire sale os assets for over a decade. [No,I am not pro-high union benefits nor am I pro corp greedy princes or off shore tax havens.]

We have consumers gorging on cheap foreign made goods, on entertainments, on sporting events, etc. Any item picked up at Home Depot, Best Buy, or pro sport event,etc. is made elsewhere. How many Chinese missiles and subs are you all going to buy?

Exports? Oh, wow, Agricultural is big in the Congr. eye. Many of us would mcuh prefer having a good, clean food supply here rather than what these corp farms produce.

"but only 4% support NAFTA..."

That seems remarkably low, implausibly so, in fact. I know NAFTA is unpopular, but that can't be the right number. I'd believe that only 4% of my readers support NAFTA (despite my best efforts), but they -- though fine folks, one and all -- aren't really a representative sample.

AB

P.S. Ivan writes, "Mexico could profit more if it traded more with Europa and Soutern-America than with the U.S. Wherever it's comparative advantage is." Mexico does have a comparative advantage with the US. In fact, one of the first results of international economics is that all countries have a comparative advantage vis a vis other countries, including the US, in the production of some goods.

One probable reason for higher European support for international trade is that they are living in smaller markets. Even the large European economies are, individually much much smaller than the US economy. Starting deep in the heart of Texas, for instance, you can grow a humongous company and never have to leave the American market. From deep in the heart of Yorkshire, or Provence, or Bavaria, you're into international trade PDQ. When traveling 50 miles takes you across an international border, you're going to be conscious of and positive about international trade.

Boy-Professor Drezner writes:

"Smart people like Stephen Roach are dredging up the race-to-the-bottom argument to explain the current job market, but it's just wrong."

There are 2 links in this sentence, 'Roach' points to Roach article in NYT (www.nytimes.com/2004/07/22/opinion/22roac.html?pagewanted=all&position=) and 'just wrong' points... to the same Roach article?

Roach article is a sober and clear description of labor stats for the last 12 monts, all well documented and referenced. There is no speculation and almost no theorizing, most of the article is just restating data from BLS.

As refutation Boy-Professor offers link to the very same Roach article. I guess that's how academy works nowadays.

Roach ends his article thus:

"It was only a matter of time before the globalization of work affected the United States labor market. The character and quality of American job creation is changing before our very eyes. Which poses the most important question of all: what are we going to do about it?"

Boy-Professor offers the answer:
We should put our collective head up our collective ass and enjoy.

Kufar: Thanks for picking up that cut-and-paste error. The proper link has been substituted into the proper place.

Don't know the mindset of the ones who responded to that survey, but it's not all that contradictory to oppose certain of our trade agreements yet support free trade in princple. If globalization allegedly involves corporate subsidies and/or lopsided rules that seem to shoot ourselves in the foot (as has sadly become all too close to the norm) then isn't that defeating the purpose? If I were Semi-informed Average Joe & that were what I was sold as "free-trade" I'd be skeptical too.

Free trade -- REAL free trade -- involves risk, not just reward. Anyone expecting Uncle Sam to cover their butts don't even deserve to call themselves capitalists, let alone advocates of free trade. The existence of such people can't help but contribute to awkward attitudes on trade in the US: make it clear to our congressmen that them & their lobbyists are to be laughed at & sent on their way, and things will turn for the better.