May You Live in Interesting Times...

OK, I look at the candidates, and I got nothing. Then I get this e-mail, telling me how evil liberals are and how righteous conservatives are. The e-mail gives me a list of issues and how each of the "big three" voted on said issues.

Here is what it says about Obama on NAFTA:
Wants to amend NAFTA and other trade agreements to impose "strong labor and environmental standards"
Publically pledged to withdraw from NAFTA unless Canada and Mexico agree to renegotiate

On Free trade Agreements:
Opposes such agreements
Has consistently voted against FTAs, agreements that give American companies the ability to compete for market access abroad
Voted against CAFTA (Central American Free Trade Agreement), opposes recently signed FTAs yet to be voted on by Congress (e.g., Korean FTA, Columbian FTA, etc)

John McCain on NAFTA:
Supports NAFTA and other FTAs

On Free Trade Agreements;
Supports free trade – believes the U.S. should "engage in multilateral, regional and bilateral efforts to reduce barriers to trade"
Has consistently supported FTAs

Now, I ask you, who is being liberal now?

Now I don't agree with much that any politician says or does these days, but if I were going to vote based on any one issue, this would be the issue. Barack Obama is the first candidate to even put the idea that we should repeal NAFTA on the table (besides me, of course). Why is that a "Liberal" stance?

How is it "Conservative" to ship our freaking livelyhood to Jakarta, or Seoul?

How about we stop looking at Liberal or Conservative, and start looking at what we can do to save our freaking economy. If we continue to send our manufacturing jobs outside of our borders, we will become a nation with no backbone of industry. Being the most technologically advanced society won't mean squat when we can't build a fucking automobile. We aren't improving the "Global Economy" one bit with our free trade agreements, either. We are keeping third world nations under Corporate America's thumb, just like they like to keep us.

This is the most rediculous thing I have ever had to argue about. Why does anyone think that a blanket "Free" trade agreement is a good idea? Why can't we negotiate specific trade agreements with nations, one at a time? Is Congress too busy? Is there some other influence on the situation? You bet there is, from the World Bank to the WTO, there are foreign investors who are influencing our government. There are Arab Muslims who are influencing your Congresman to give your job to some shmuck in Thailand.

There will always be too much money floating around DC, and there will always be special interest influence. Why can't we be an interest group? I know! We'll call ourselves the rightful citizens and voters of this country!

Maybe Barack Obama is no answer, OK, I'll grant you that. Just remember that the Bush and Clinton cycle got us where we are, John McCain thinks things are peachy all over, and Ralph Nader is worried that we aren't safe enough as consumers.

The most expediant concern in this country right now is border security and Free Trade (specifically the getting rid of). Not a candidate one has a border security plan. Only one has a plan to renegotiate NAFTA.