[pollyannaish]

The Free Trade above everything mentality is as antithetical to the founding principles of our Constitutional Republic as communism.

May I sincerely ask why you believe that to be true?

[TigersEye]

Because the federal government is not charged in the Constitution with overseeing business or the economy. Just as it's unConstitutional for the fedgov to be in education so it is with business.

If you have not noticed the distinction made on this thread between free markets and "Free Trade" that is where a lot of confusion lies. It is a natural consequence of our intended Constitutionally protected liberty to engage in free market principles.

But "Free Trade" is not simply a principle of economics, as 'free market' philosophy is, it is an ideology that must be supported through a structural form of governance. It is not possible to have two structural forms of governance simultaneously. The principles of individual liberty, freedom and the pursuit of happiness are at odds with the corporate "Free Trade" goals of maximized profits, maximized trade and maximized use of "human capital" as the government sees it.

The original intent was for the fedgov to protect Americans so that they could do business in the manner in which they chose. "Free Trade," as the term has come to mean through NAFTA et al, is government designed business. Not too far from communism at all.