MB Civic

By Byron Dorgan & Sherrod Brown | Saturday, December 23, 2006 | The Washington Post

Byron Dorgan is a Democratic senator from North Dakota. Representative Sherrod Brown is a newly elected freshman Democratic senator from Ohio. Here is a preview of the solid economic thinking we hope to hear from the new Democratic Congress.

This essay is about the way globalization and the pursuit of cheap labor by multinational companies punishes the American Middle Class. It also proposes a remedy: replacing free trade with fair trade – trade according to ethical regulations that protect the rights of the workers and the environment of our shrinking, precious planet. Along the way the article points out the sacrifices that went into building the US middle class – an achievement that is the envy of the world – after a long struggle against desperately poor working conditions and aggressive management.

This is not just pro-labor, Big Government “happy talk” (though I confess I feel happy and reassured to hear lawmakers talk like this). To the contrary, it is solid economics of the kind that Bill Clinton implemented with enormous success, before The Decider and his goons blew it for us all.

Last but by no means least: this kind of rational, moderate, ethical, pro-middle class policy actually has a prayer of getting through the law-making process, IF it is sold to the American public and the Republicans in a persuasive pro-American, bi-partisan way. I’m persuaded. How about you?…BS

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/22/AR2006122201020.html