mbs: there is such a danger. whether the trade alliances have anything to do with neglect of long-term issues is another matter. I would back it up a few steps and say that the extent of emphasis on trade itself, alliances aside, is a kind of crutch that facilitates neglect of the sort you note.
DH: Any union that makes a deal with Roger Milliken is giving up on being a social movement of any militance or seriousness. The guy
mbs: I disagree.
DH: is a rabid nationalist, xenophobe, and hater of unions. Of course it makes perfect sense for a xenophobe to oppose trade (though doesn't Milliken use German machinery in his mills?), but a textile union - with lots of Latino/a members at home - should be trying to work with its counterparts abroad.
mbs: they are, but it's not easy if you're contending for the same jobs.
You may have noticed that all this nationalist protectionism hasn't done anything to save jobs in the U.S., and that labor has pretty much lost all the major trade battles. You'd think that might lead to a strategy rethink, but apparently not. Doug
mbs: I don't think labor has any choice but to defend jobs. Failure to even try would cede that ground to the Buchananoids, as I've argued before.