>Naturally, our concern for foreign standards of living is in our own
>self-interest in that foreign standards create demand on a world wide scale.
Really? Proof? To the extent that the US increasingly exports capital goods higher consumer demand may not be that much of a stimulus; actually such stimulus may deprive the US of fire sale consumer goodies and raw materials that have power fueled its boom. Moreover, deflationary periods tend to make mandatory the kind of innovatory investment in fixed capital by which US high tech, capital goods heavy xports may be best aided.
>On a more altruistic note, free and independent labor unions are the basis of
>any modern democracy. Besides they raise living standards too.
Barkley would remind you of the rapid growth of the open shop in the US, esp. in the construction industry. The governing body of the WTO will only apply sanctions in order to serve the imperialist and geopolitical interests of its most powerful states, i.e., US threatening to invoke non application against China in order to win wrench more concessions in the socalled services, property rights, etc. The quad group (US, Canada, EU, and Japan) will continue to decide issues first and bring them before the WTO. The role of the US union movement can be nothing more than provision of its imprimatur on arbitrarily imposed sanctions or 'non-applications.' Hoffa and co are only aiming to be junior partners in a new social imperialism, having now stoked the nationalism of its rank and file to new heights.
Yours, Rakesh