May 28, 2015
Daniel London
BringTheJobsHome.org
In a recent article titled Free Trade Agreements Seen As Good For U.S., But Concerns Persist, the Pew Research Center failed to adequately analyze and question their own findings. And, in doing so handed the simple-minded media pundits a misleading headline: “Americans Are In Favor Of Free-Trade,” i.e., the Trans Pacific Trade Agreement.
For example, a few nights ago Chris Mathews of MSNBC triumphantly announced
“A Pew Research Center Study found that a majority of Americans favor Free-Trade… 58% say free trade is good for America.”
Mathews has been pushing the TPP ever since he played soft ball with the President on his nightly show called “Hard Ball”
Given the fact that the public and our political parties have been obsessed with job creation and low wages for the past seven years; and, based on the numbers in this study, I suggest that the headline should have been:
FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS SEEN AS DESTROYING
U.S. JOBS AND MAKING WAGES LOWER
Among the 65% of respondents who had an opinion as to whether Free Trade Deals grow the economy or slow economic growth, a slight majority (34%) selected “Slows economic growth,” compared to 31% who thought these deals grow the economy.
Another 25% are classified as “Don’t make a difference, i.e. “Don’t knows” and “Other.” These numbers are hardly a ringing endorsement for free trade deals
Americans overwhelmingly agree that Free Trade Agreements cost the U.S. jobs and lower wages.
When asked how free trade deals affect the economy, nearly one-half (46%) of respondents chose “Lead to job losses” compared to just 17% who chose “Create jobs.” Less than one-third (28%) chose “Don’t make a difference.”
Do Free Trade Agreements yield higher wages or lower wages?
Americans are not in doubt as to how wages are affected by our Free Trade Agreements. Nearly one-half (46%) of respondents said that our free trade deals “makes wages lower” compared to only 11% who thought they “make wages higher.”
Read The Whole Story At BringTheJobsHome.org