nathan & 'once and for all'

[Tim Shorrock]

Of course I see China's policies as anti-union to the extreme. Any dolt
knows that. The question I've raised in many discussions is whether or not
normal trade relations, or demonizing China as an enemy nation, does
anything about those conditions. I don't see China as the 'most abnormal
nation on earth,' as Rich Trumka declared during the PNTR battle. Do you?
One can argue that China has legitimate national interests and holds
legitimate gripes against the USA without siding with Chinese government
policies. Or is that just not acceptable within your little universe? C'mon,
Nathan, get off of your high horse.
TS

Date: Mon, 15 Apr 2002 09:26:36 -0400
From: "Nathan Newman" <nathan at newman.org>
Subject: Re: newman on china

- ----- Original Message -----
From: "Tim Shorrock" <tshorrock51 at hotmail.com>

Nathan Newman writes (stupidly):
>As Tim's comments show, there are a bunch who, despite China's nearly
complete capitulation to capitalist economics, continue to defend their
brutal anti-labor policies.  At this point, China is far worse than almost
any country's economic policies, since they combine capitalist laissez-faire
towards workers with brutal undemocratic anti-union policies.

- -Nathan, As I said before, you are living in la-la land when it comes to
- -analyzing the AFL's foreign policy. To say that people like me who
opposed
- -the anti-PNTR campaign of the AFL and the Naderites are "defend(ing)
China's
- -broad anti-labor policies" is insulting

Really? You condemned the AFL for trying to stop a trade deal with China
because you argued that it was unfair to treat China differently based on
those policies.  Since the AFL has fought every other trade deal this
decade, even that argument was pretty weak.

So let's settle this and see if my characterization is unfair.  Do you agree
or disagree that China has the worst antiunion policies of any large nation
in the world?

- -- Nathan Newman