The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Our Readers Speak

June 29, 2009

Our Readers Speak - June 30, 2009

Current economic woes started in Washington

Finger pointing is the same juvenile political process it has always been. In 2004, the Republicans had solid control of Washington, having majorities in Congress, the Senate and the White House. Democrats cried foul every time. Now it’s 2009, and the Democrats are in power, and the Republicans are crying foul every chance they get. It’s a never ending process that’s repeated over and over.

Rewind further back to 1992. President George H.W. Bush, the Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, and Mexican President Carlos Salinas were ratifying a free-for-all trade agreement called NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement), also called ALENA in Spanish and the Mexican world. NAFTA was instantly the world’s 2nd largest trade agreement.

Before the agreement became law, President Bill Clinton took office, under the pressure of the Republican-controlled and Democrat-backed Congress, NAFTA finally became law.

The opening of free trade allowed greedy businesses to expedite their business to cheaper labor markets, like Mexico, China, and India; further driving a spear into the heart of the rust belt and America’s labor force.

It took some time for the climate to finally hit its boiling point, And things in hindsight become more clear with time; in 2007 the greedy banks and their housing bubble collapsed within itself. Those greedy businesses became shrouded in bad business practices, and started cutting their American labor force. GM, Ford, and Chrysler could no longer compete with the cheaper, leaner foreign car makers from overseas, the United Auto Workers and their steep pay requirements successfully choked off Detroit as compared with the much-lower labor costs and overall cheaper cars of the Japanese auto industry.

When we point blame, it goes nowhere but to the faulty CEO corporate greed, and Washington — not just Democrats, or Republicans, but all of Washington. Luckily we live in America- we will survive, we will overcome, we always do.



Aaron Deskins

Ronceverte

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