NAFTA hurts, but not a complete loss
Foma Harrop reports that NAFTA is "not a bad deal." That is an incomplete story.
The fact is that U.S. workers continue to lose jobs to lower-cost labor nations including Mexico and dozens of others.
However, one has to consider the balance of trade, not only the immediate loss. For every dollar of goods and services we buy from our NAFTA partners, they buy a dollar's worth from us.
Our loss is disruptive and nobody enjoys these changes to lives of many, but it is not a complete loss.
The facts are that when buying a dollar's worth of products from Asia, we lose virtually the full value as they buy very, very little from us.
The best deal is clear. Support NAFTA and exchange goods and services equally or buy from Asia and get nothing back in return.
Larry Garbarek Des Plaines