[maui_hawaii]

The Bush administration, which has reached five new free trade agreements and is negotiating four more, is trying to make the case that trade benefits the U.S. economy.

Trade does...but we don't have trade going on especially with some big players on the stage...and thats the problem.

[Shermy]

``India has been a closed economy and it needs to be encouraged to open up.''

"Encouraged." New Dehli is shivering in their boots.

< /sarcasm>

[WillL]

"Still, Zoellick signaled that the U.S. is unwilling to challenge China's currency peg at the WTO,"

The Chines would have to revalue the yuan by a factor of 10 to their wages even remotely comparable to ours.

[neutrino]

Still, Zoellick signaled that the U.S. is unwilling to challenge China's currency peg at the WTO,

ROFLMAO! Unwilling? Utter nonsense. Unable is more like it. We owe lots of money to China, and they continue to buy our debt. If they quit buying, the rates go up - and our economy is too fragile to endure increased interest rates. They can bring us to heel just by not lending us more money.

We would be wise to learn to tug our forelocks, look down at the ground, and say "Yessir, Massa" to our new Chinese overlords.

The free traders can be proud of the chains of slavery they've wrought for all of us to wear! Perhaps they can even arrange for their sons to become valued eunuchs to a wealthy Chinese merchant.