Article: Patriotism Requires Economic Nationalism

Patriotism Requires Economic Nationalism

If you consider yourself a patriot and are not concerned about the ballooning trade deficit, the huge national debt and the loss of 3 million manufacturing jobs since the current Bush first occupied the White House, you are lying to yourself. If you are a political figure, you are likely lying to the American public, as well.

Economic globalization is certainly not inevitable. The inevitability of uncontrolled globalization is deliberate disinformation promoted by the largest international corporations and their academic, media and political lackeys. Economic globalization is the result of deliberate public policy changes by our government and other governments. The policy changes have been pushed by large international corporations seeking to maximize their profits regardless of the cost to the American economy or the American people.

Our very way of life is being undermined by government policies that fail to rein in the unchecked greed of large international corporations. Every American patriot must demand a reversal of American government policies and attitudes toward a people-oriented, economic nationalism instead of government-sponsored international corporatism.

International trade is often a very good thing. However, it should be a managed process that is regulated by the citizens of the nations involved in the form of their governments. Defense and foreign policy considerations should be given significant weight in the establishment of international trade policies. Trade was very helpful during the Cold War with our former international rival, the late Soviet Union.

Trade should not be organized by trade agreements that damage our manufacturing base because our military strength depends on manufacturing. International trade should not lower the living standards of American workers. Our worker safety regulations, wage levels, environmental regulations and product safety requirements should all be enhanced instead of undetermined by our trade agreements. Trade should not create more government debt for our nation. International trade should produce large amounts of government revenue in the form of much higher tariffs. We need more economic nationalism.

It is the patriotic duty of every citizen to demand government policies that serve our citizens and nation instead of the large international corporations. As we move into the 2008 elections, Americans should only support candidates who vote in the economic interests of America.

Citizens should support universal national healthcare because American companies cannot afford to supply healthcare to their workers and compete with foreign businesses. All other major trading nations have governments who provide healthcare to their workers instead of saddling their businesses with this additional costs. American businesses are at a severe disadvantage.

Americans should demand repeal or renegotiation of all current, falsely-named, "free trade" agreements. Presidential "fast-tracking" of these agreements should be ended immediately.

The salaries of top corporate executives should be limited by federal law. It should be illegal to increase executive compensation in corporations that are moving jobs outside our borders. Corporate executives should not be awarded for being bad citizens.

Corporations who move good jobs abroad to cut the pay of workers or to avoid environmental laws should be punished by finding their access to the American market severely restricted. They should pay much larger taxes. Their ability to send money abroad should be restricted.

Our federal government should mandate that colleges and universities teach mandatory courses in Economic Patriotism to all students in business or economics programs. Courses should be offered in all high schools. We need to educate our citizenry on these issues because of their importance to America's future.

We should strengthen our labor unions to check the political power of large corporations. We should pass the Employee Free Choice Act. We should repeal the restraints on unions passed during the Truman Administration by a Republican Congress over the veto of President Truman.

We need much strong campaign finance laws that will more effectively stop corporations from buying the loyalties of our political leaders. We should only approved federal judges who will protect our economy. If we need Constitutional Amendments to limit corporate power, we should pass them.

America cannot afford 800 billion dollar annual trade deficits if we are remain a real world power. We should not be borrowing from Communist China and Japan to fund our government debt. Our domestic economy remains strong thanks to our small businesses while the large international corporations are working against our national interests.

We need to put real teeth in anti-monopoly laws. Media concentration should be stopped and reversed. Our citizens should not be feed only information controlled by the largest international corporations. We need to break-up the media monopolies, return to the Fairness Doctrine and Equal Time Protection in broadcasting and encourage local media ownership.

Patriotism includes an economic element. The leadership of Wall Street needs to demonstrate in both word and action they are patriotic. The Supreme Court in the 19th Century gave corporations many citizenship rights. These corporations should be required that they are loyal citizens instead of traitors to America's future.

Written by Stephen Crockett (co-host of Democratic Talk Radio http://www.DemocraticTalkRadio.com .) Mail: P.O. Box 283, Earleville, Maryland 21919. Email: midsouthcm@aol.com . Phone: 443-907-2367.

Feel free to publish without prior approval as a Democratic Voices column, Letter to the Editor, Guest Editorial or OpEd.