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March 4, 2015 Page 7 Opinion articles do not necessarily represent the views of the Portland Observer. We welcome reader essays, photos and story ideas. Submit to news@portlandobserver.com. O PINION Greasing the Skids to Deeper Economic Distress ‘Free Trade’ and growing inequality E DITH R ASELL Just as the coun- try is finally begin- ning to recover from the Great Recession, Congress is set to deliver another blow to the economy. Over the past 20 years, so-called “free trade” agreements have sent hundreds of thousands of jobs overseas, harmed work- ers in the United States and around the world, weakened protective regulations, and exacerbated in- equality. But despite this history of de- struction, Congress will soon consider two more free trade agreement: the 12-nation Trans- Pacific Partnership and the Trans- BY Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership with the European Union. These agreements cannot be passed unless Con- gress first adopts special “Fast Track” procedures to grease the process. Fast Track legislation must be stopped. Our recent economic history is a tragic story of deepening poverty, erosion of the middle class, and fabulous income growth at the highest reaches of the economic ladder. Many experts who acknowledge these trends claim they are the inevi- table result of economic forces beyond our control. In other words, there is noth- ing we can do about it. But this claim of impotence is false. Solid research shows that rising in- equality is, in fact, the direct result of policy choices made by politicians (federal, state, and local) on behalf of corporate interests and people with wealth and political power. Which brings us back to “free trade” agreements. Economists identify these agreements as one important cause of the growth in inequality. In the last 20 years, Congress has passed a series of trade agreements, each modeled on the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). These pacts have not only been detrimental to the common good in the United States, they have also harmed our trading part- ners. For example, corporations’ global search for the cheapest workers has forced developing nations to compete against each other for the lowest wages. Our government-subsidized agricul- tural output has put poor, unsubsidized farmers in other countries out of business. Pro- hibitions on a small country’s ability to control money flows across its borders has led to financial instability and eco- nomic crises. In short, free trade agreements have benefited cor- porations around the world, harmed workers and the envi- ronment, boosted inequality in the U. S. and many other coun- tries, and brought greater eco- nomic instability. Before Congress considers these proposed trade agree- ments they will first seek to pass Fast Track legislation to markedly curtail the usual over- sight process and ease passage. Under Fast Track, Congress would have just 90 days to study and vote on the hundreds of pages of the proposed trade agreements. Policy makers could spend no more than 20 hours debating the legislation, would not be allowed to hold hearings to learn the opinions of experts, and would be prohib- ited from amending the pro- posed agreements. Just when careful scrutiny of proposed legislation would be especially important, Fast Track would severely constrain this process. The proposed free trade agree- ments would impact millions of people around the world and the environment. Previous similar agreements have harmed, not pro- moted, the common good. Con- gress must thoroughly and care- fully evaluate these agreements. Congress must not pass Fast Track. Edith Rasell is the Minister for Economic Justice for the United Church of Christ. Giuliani's Words Do More than Hurt - They Divide A horrible thing to say on many levels B Y M ARC H. M ORIAL After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist at- tacks in New York City, I brought a del- egation of mayors to meet with the city’s then-mayor, Rudolph Giuliani. The delegation’s goal was to help restore confidence in the still-traumatized city and help rebuild what had been so inhu- manly destroyed. At the time, I was mayor of New Orleans and President of the U.S. Conference of May- ors, and Giuliani – widely ac- knowledged and praised for his leadership after the attacks – catapulted onto the national stage to become “America’s Mayor.” How times have changed. During a private New York fundraising dinner for Republi- can presidential candidate Wis- consin Gov. Scott Walker last month, Giuliani popped onto the national stage yet again – not for the qualities he displayed as “America’s Mayor,” but for the unfounded accusation that President Obama does not love America. “I do not believe, and I know this is a horrible thing to say, but I do not believe that the president loves America,” Giuliani said in response to a question about the president’s foreign policy and counter-terrorism strategies. He added, “He doesn’t love you. And he doesn’t love me. He wasn’t brought up the way you were brought up and I was brought up, through love of this country.” Speaking in front of a 2016 Republican presidential con- tender and a mixed crowd of conservatives and business ex- ecutives, Giuliani – who failed to win the 2008 GOP presiden- tial nomination – attacked the patriotism of our nation’s presi- dent, a man whose grandfather served in World War II, whose grand-uncle helped liberate the Nazi death camp at Buchenwald and who was the chief execu- tive behind the operation to kill 9/11’s mastermind, Osama Bin Laden. Questioning the president's patriotism isn't just inappropri- ate; it demonstrates a complete lack of respect. It begs the question that as Giuliani contin- ues to seek a prominent role on the national political stage, will he choose to rehearse only in the Theater of the Absurd? Giuliani’s response was nei- ther an honest critique of the president’s foreign policy, nor was it a considered analysis of our nation’s ongoing discus- sion on how to combat terror- ism. It was, however, a veiled at- tack on the character of our president. It was a better-left- buried relic from 2008 when candidates – including Giuliani – purposely appealed to a par- ticular strain of the GOP base who viewed Obama, the Harvard-educated black man raised by his white family in Hawaii, as “the other” and “not like us.” It was a rehearsal of the kind of divisive rhetoric that has no place in the 2016 race for the White House. I am the first to assert that honest critiques of any presi- dent, administration and its poli- cies are critical in a functioning democracy. But in this case, there is nothing constructive or relevant in maligning a man be- cause of the way he was raised. Further, Giuliani has yet to ex- plain how the president’s upbring- ing jeopardizes the national secu- rity of our nation. How can personal attacks ever have a con- structive place in our conversa- tions about degrading and ulti- mately destroying ISIL or creat- ing jobs or energy independence? White House spokesman Josh Earnest said, “It is sad to see when somebody who has attained a certain level of public stature and even admiration tarnishes that legacy so thoroughly.” Without hesitation, I can say that the Giuliani I met with that mayors’ delegation in the smol- dering aftermath of the terror attacks – a bridge-builder, a rec- onciler and a healer – was not the Giuliani I heard last week. It is quite unfortunate that his re- appearance on the national stage recasts and squanders that legacy for a new one that limits him to catering to groups ani- mated by the rhetoric of divi- sion at best, and veiled hate- mongering at worst. If I agreed with anything in Giuliani’s statement, it is that, yes, it was a horrible thing to say on many levels. I would add, in a word of advice to the former mayor of New York, that whenever you feel com- pelled to preface a comment with “I know this is a horrible thing to say,” it is likely a com- ment better left unsaid. Marc H. Morial is president and chief executive officer of the National Urban League. THE LAW OFFICES OF Patrick John Sweeney, P.C. Patrick John Sweeney Attorney at Law 1549 SE Ladd Portland, Oregon Portland: Hillsoboro: Facsimile: Email: (503) 244-2080 (503) 244-2081 (503) 244-2084 Sweeney@PDXLawyer.com