As far as the Steelworkers kissing up, with stand up for steel, that's a pretty cruel cut. The push toward globalization is just as forceful in the steel industry as any other industry. I've read the same trash that Eric's talking coming from steel company executives and wanna be global steel players. The funniest thing that I heard coming from a steel company executive was a description of China as one big union. Possibly you may have noticed the USS deal in Slovakia for VSZ; a deal that increases USS total steelmaking capacity by at least 26% to 28%! There are all types of global steel deals in the works. China with no environmental constraints, no social costs of doing business and cents an hour wages only adds to the problem.
What Eric should be looking at is re-building our light rail transit systems in this country. Today's modern electric non-polluting light rail systems are a smooth ride and climate controlled.
Another thing that Eric should consider, is that the American exports to China won't be things that could be used to improve the life of the ordinary Chinese. We won't be exporting sewage treatment plants, pollution control equipment, or electric light rail. What we will be exporting to China are potential weapons.
Tom Lehman