The fastest way to lose your job is to support a new “Free trade Agreement”.  What some call free trade is not free trade at all. It is outsourcing our jobs to other countries with cheap labor. Even worse is it also is the transfer of our wealth. What Donald Trump, and Ross Perot before him said; it is these agreements that allow other countries to drain our wealth and our jobs. When the trade balance is negative we are removing wealth from our country and sending it to someone else.

Here is how it works, we sign a free trade agreement with say Mexico which removes all protection for say our auto industry. Now why would a company pay an American auto worker $40 an hour when they can get someone in Mexico to do exactly the same job for $5 per hour? Some say the quality of American workers is better, OK let’s hire another checker and repair person for $5 to insure that good workmanship goes out the door. Plus you have robots that are doing many of the skilled jobs. A company would be stupid to pay 4 times as much for labor here in America.

When our country was founded our founding fathers installed tariffs to protect our fledgling industries from foreign competition. Yes we had to pay a little more for things but we were able to build our industrial might and provide jobs for our people. Now comes globalism and progressive ideals. “Let’s remove these restrictive tariffs so things will be cheaper for Americans and help those poorer countries” sounds like a good idea. We no longer will have to pay more for cars. So people bought cheap cars produced in other countries and got rid of American workers. What about the cost of transportation, moving cars from say Mexico to the U.S.? Fire the American truck driver; we can get a Mexican one for ¼ the cost. Another job lost. Then it’s the parts supplier and so on.

Oh one more thing, the cost of government regulations on American business that foreign business don’t have. It has been estimated by the National Association of Manufactures that it is around $20,000 per employee big companies and for a small business $34,000. This all becomes a hidden tax which we all pay if we “buy American”. Yes workers need some protection but many people think things have gone way too far.

Cheap stuff from around the world saves the typical U.S. family maybe 5 to 10 thousand per year but the bread winner losses their job. Since there are fewer jobs some families have to go on to public assistance costing $50 to $100,000 per year. Sure it’s not all families but if it is yours tough luck, but one by one our middle class is being destroyed — with the full support and help of our government.

Who’s doing this to us? Try the progressives and the Democratic Party. When these ideas were introduced it was let’s share the wealth with those less fortunate. Sounds good and fair but the reality is that our wealth is moving away from us and going to other countries. The idea of Globalism means to make all equal which sounds good but folks, that means you lose so that others can gain. The North American Free Trade Agreement, known as NAFTA pushed through by Bill Clinton, removes tariffs that protected American workers to the benefit of Mexico. Hillary Clinton fully supports that agreement and supports the next nail in the manufacturing coffin with the Trans Pacific Partnership.

Our government has abandoned our middle class to political correctness and to the “experts” (Lobbyists) who are being funded by the multi-national corporations and foreign governments. These so called experts know nothing about economics, but then condemn “protectionism,” as if it’s not caring about all the poor people (In the world). Of course we care about the poor and those less fortunate in other countries but is it good stewardship to give away our assets and throw our own people under the bus? We are already the most generous country on earth and now they want to give away more?

The politicos promise more jobs and then vote for new trade agreement s that cost us jobs. If you want more of the same, your voting choice is easy, if you want to make America great again your choice is also easy. If you don’t care what is happening to America or do not understand the differences, please do not even vote.

Mike Young is a retired water and power executive who resides in Mesquite. Graduated from the University of La Verne he has taught communications skills and technical subjects throughout the Western Hemisphere. In addition to writing and editing technical manuals, he has a book titled “Speaking for Effect”. He has received some of the highest awards and recognition from both professional and public organizations.