Democrats and Republicans are constantly swept up in debate regarding labels. Republicans generally argue for free trade while a few progressive democrats campaign for fair trade. In reality, all that American citizens are doing is getting caught up in a false-ideological battle whilst ignoring actual issues. “Free trade” and “protectionist” fair trade are just labels: Americans should simply be focused on “trade” and what is best for our country. Is this not the policy every country should adopt?

Free trade when executed properly and enforced by the government is fair. Practicing “free trade” without protections in place to counter other countries’ backdoor protectionist policies is asinine. This will result in the manipulation of average workers and seek only to serve the interests of multinational corporations. Surely, free trade advocates do not support policies that degrade the Middle Class and the wealth of Americans? Well, that’s exactly what the U.S. has been engaging in under the guise of “free trade.”

Unwarranted and unfettered protectionism is poor policy as well. It discourages competition and the efficient allocation of resources. Free trade seeks to maintain comparative advantages between economies allowing for production and trade with the lowest possible costs. However, when one country engages in protectionism and another is forced to maintain “free” market access, the latter will undoubtedly suffer.

Through value-added tariffs, currency manipulation and WTO rulings the U.S. has been forced to operate and engage with non-market countries that employ protectionist policies without being able to protect ourselves, and as a result our trade deficit, manufacturing jobs, and middle class incomes have suffered dramatically. Ownership of our country’s assets has shifted into the hands of foreign entities.

The United States is in open competition with the same countries from which we buy our goods and finance our government. These countries supply our consumption while simultaneously competing fiercely against our companies in international markets. Nations like India, Japan and China, along with trade blocs like the European Union, rally against “protectionism” in the U.S. because they do not want to have their unfettered access to our market tampered with, all the while engaging in backdoor protectionism.

The United States is told that it must oblige to its commitment to “free trade,” not because it is in our best interest but because it is in our foreign creditors best interest. They want the current system to continue unimpeded. Foreign exporters finance our government so the U.S. can continue functioning, and then they make all of their money back through the goods we buy from them. The U.S. government then pays back its finance charges and over time foreign financiers virtually double their investments. The United States is told that it must keep up its end of the “free trade” bargain. Meanwhile other countries skirt the rules, using hostile practices to put our companies out of business and capture sectors of the market.

Other countries limit and restrict the amount of American-made goods flowing into their markets. The United States puts up no such regulations, and is thus flooded with foreign-made goods. The WTO, NAFTA, and other “free trade” agreements favor the foreign producers in this equation, and the United States is not one of them. We are told by these international trade regimes that we cannot and should not protect our own economy. Through “free trade” the U.S. must open itself up to all foreign interests.

Our government has eroded its own regulations regarding capital infusions, mergers and acquisitions, and foreign-takeovers. To make matters worse, all successful American companies are for sale on an open stock market. As a result the United States has lost thousands of companies to foreign takeovers in the past 30 years, and stands to lose even more as the economic crisis deepens. The same cannot be said of other countries, where takeovers are closely regulated and major industrial champions rarely – if ever – get purchased by an overseas interest.

In a practical sense of the word, the U.S. has been conquered. Our fate is sealed. Most Americans do not realize the gravity of the situation because so much of the media attention is directed in favor of a “free trade” system that has bankrupted us. Scholars, politicians, professionals, and others from all walks of life have been indoctrinated into the idea that “free trade” is the best and only way to do business. Our political leaders promote the whimsical idea of “free” trade on false pretenses, and those that do not preach the fallacies of “free trade” are bought and paid for by major corporate interests and foreign lobbies.

As an economically conquered nation we have no ability to resist this economic and political pressure. Our factories are shuttered and our industries are unproductive. This country imports consumer goods that could and should otherwise be made at home. If free trade promotes the most efficient allocation of resources, then why are American workers and resources going to waste? Why does the U.S., a former champion of industry and production, suddenly rely on a consumption-based economy? We export our wealth, strength, and prestige in exchange for cheap, slave-driven consumption.

With no internal capabilities remaining and no strength, we are happy that our colonial masters even give us a job. There are thousands of foreign-owned, American-registered companies in the United States. Many of the automobile factories that presently supply our car market are foreign-owned. Our state, local, and federal governments continue to offer tax breaks and subsidies to these foreign companies in exchange for a few American jobs even after this practice drove our own automakers to the point of dissolution.

In the near future we may find our living standard diminished and our prospects for growth and economic independence dampened. Without any homegrown industries to drive a comeback we will be forced to be content with our diminishing status. While formerly living in the lap of luxury we allowed the greatest economy on earth to fall apart by living on imports and foreign-financed debt.

The “me first” mentality which drove this country has pushed us into a crisis from which we will not return if we do not start fixing our problems now. Following September 11th, 2001 our country united and threw away partisanship to do what was best for our country, regardless of ideological views. We must do this again or be destroyed.

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