New Democratic Network- Talking Sense on Globalization
The New Democratic Network released a memo on "The Emerging Progressive Economic Consensus on Wages" and they actually seem to be marching a number of steps towards the "fair trade" progressive side (although they never say the phrase). They actually admit that the entry of millions of Chinese workers into the global economy changes the nature of the game and means that American workers don't automatically benefit from trade-- a pretty big stepback from the trade fundamentalism of the traditional centrist Dem position.
NDN also called for stronger labor rights in CAFTA and while the advocacy of labor rights within trade agreements could be more central to some of NDN's discussion of the global economy, at least we are seeing actual steps to consensus that the trade rules need fundamental reform
The impact of China on the rest of the world is just unimaginable to most of us. There is a series running on PBS about creating smart buildings as a way to cut energy needs. The episode on China mentioned that they are going to be building new housing for 400 million people in the next decade. This is equivalent to replacing all the housing in the US in the next seven years.
The impact of this on natural resource use (especially concrete and steel), as well as energy and transportation can't be appreciated. With development of this scale trade and labor rules are likely to take a distant second place to other priorities.
Without addressing the overpopulation which underlies all the world's major problems nothing meaningful will emerge.
--- Policies not Politics
Daily Landscape
August 2, 2006 11:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
One of the most interesting points (mho, of course) in the document to which you directed our attention was this one:
It would seem to me that this is a pretty strong argument for universal health care and strengthened social security, if only to take these particular competitive burdens off the shoulders of American enterprises.
RDF too makes a very astute observation
This raises a general question: How many runaway consumption oriented economies the world can stand? Maybe the answer is none. Certainly one of them is doing enough ecological harm all by itself. I have read a little about the Gross National Happiness Index as an alternative to the GDP, most recently this diary entry at Eurotrib by Brunoken writing from Japan. There are lots of interesting ways to quantify development mentioned there, with enough links to chase down to keep the most obsessive hunter happy.
aMike
August 2, 2006 1:08 PM | Reply | Permalink