Trade and the American flag

Generations of school children once learnt that during the heady days of European colonial expansion trade followed the flag. And this is certainly true of the United States, too. Globalisation has become a buzzword in the race for the American presidency in 2008. Suddenly, among, say, the candidates of both parties, globalised trade is hurting the American economy and by inference the pay packet of the American workingman and woman.
Let's look at this drum and bugle to the rescue of the American voter's household income! Paul Krugman in his New York Times op ed piece [28 December 2007], makes it eminently clear that the US is now importing from the third world 'manufactured goods'. Which means that the American economy is losing on the hardcore manufacturing front. Saying this, few remark that these manufactured goods are coming from American companies who for cheaper labour have over the years outsourced American jobs abroad.
The Bush administration is not alone in pushing for Free Trade Association [FTA] treaties with other countries and in the third world. Such manufactured imports are subject to taxes, and so with an FTA the tariffs are substantially reduced or done away with. Now, here's the secret, the goods imported are from American factories abroad. So with a sweep of pen and more blue smoke and mirrors, it is these very factories whose owners have cheated Americans out of decent living wages and fattened wallets of theirs with profits and clipped coupons who are the beneficeries of such liberal trade largesse.
Years ago a small tempest in a teapot raged about the replacement of the state by multi national or transnational corporations. That debate ended quietly and was simply a diversion. The parent company's domiciled country is the key. It follows the politics of the land and lobbies for more than fair treatment for its profits and for avoiding paying its fair share of taxes.
So the big hoopla about globalisation and how the poor American hard working slog is simply election hype, the more especially American election campaigns run into the millions and the very robbers of the American workingmen and women, are funding mightily the bill for the next president so that their filthy privileges continue unchecked.