Protection is for Everyone!

     I've been re-reading Pat Buchanan's book, The Great Betrayal.  It fits into the mindset I've had lately about the economy and jobs.  America is in a great orchestrated decline and we've done it to ourselves. We are so manipulated by the media that we keep electing the same sorry politicians from both parties.  The "free traders" who brought us terrible laws like the Trade Expansion Act under Kennedy all the way to NAFTA and GATT under the Clinton & Bush years!

     In theory "free trade" should work, if you have an equal playing field.  There isn't one!  Other countries don't play by the same rules.  Why is it liberals and conservatives alike are so determined to end our country?  America has given away all our manufacturing jobs for cheap goods from China and Mexico.  My parents worked in the Alabama City cotton mill.  It's gone.  Republic Steel employed a lot of people in Gadsden, gone!  There used to be sock mills all over Ft. Payne, Alabama.  Most were closed the last time I drove through town.  Think of all the factories gathering dust around this country!

     I remember the Arrow shirt factory in Boaz.  They had a factory outlet store, where you could buy good shirts for $5.00.  A lot of people worked there till it was moved to Mexico.  It was probably argued then that products sent back would be cheaper to buy.  I was at Kohl's this morning and an Arrow shirt was selling for $26.00.  I will never wear another Arrow shirt!  Then, Tyson in Boaz, was caught bringing in illegals from Mexico to work in their chicken plants...

     There is no patriotism anymore.  At least not from business!  There are plenty of folks loyal to the dollar, yen, euro, etc.  "But we will convert to a service economy" claimed Robert Reich, labor secretary under Clinton.  The problem is that service sector jobs don't feed a family nor pay for a house.  Both parents have to work and still end up below the poverty line.  But we still will stand up with our hand across our heart saying the pledge of allegiance!  The propaganda machine is still up and running.

     Until we toss the myth that protectionism is bad for our country, we'll never recover!  We have got to secure our borders!  Let's stop illegals from coming in and jobs from going out!  If the new politicians can't get it right, lets throw them out too!