Cordell Hull


  • Cordell Hull, U.S. Secretary of State, 1933-1944; Nobel Peace Prize winner, ardent free trader

Peter Gallagher

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    « Keeping Up To Date on American Trade Policy Views | Main | A Trade Policy for Progressive Democrats »

    Comments

    Peter Gallagher

    The most important measure here (IF she means it) is moving to stronger fiscal discipline. Of course, Presidential candidates say that all the time and then play the game with Congress as soon as they're in the seat. Otherwise, as long-term foreign observer of US trade "rhetoric" -- i.e. the things politicians say to their home constituencies -- I'd say this looks relatively moderate. Of course, the 'enforcement' of labor standards (whose?) is potentially a shabby refuge for protectionism. But there's nothing in Clinton's approach to this that threatens more than the Democrats in Congress have already agreed, which seems to allow for differentiation. Doubling TAA is may be a good idea, too. If it works (I've never been sure what it actually DOES). What consumers in the US and producers abroad don't want above all is a return to the knee-jerk (or cynical -- take your pick) use of safeguard actions to 'protect jobs' such as those in the early days of the Bush Administration. One thing to be said in Mrs Clinton's favor here seems to be that, unlike Mr Bush in his first term, she doesn't have as much need to 'learn on the job'.

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