Off track.FACING defeat by House Democrats, President Clinton was forced to pull his proposal for "fast track," whereby Congress would agree to hold an up-or-down vote on trade agreements he negotiates. The proposal is almost certainly dead for this Congress, and probably for this Administration. The proximate causes of the defeat were the increasing financial and organizational dependence of Democrats on labor unions, their annoyance with Clinton's perceived betrayals on such issues as welfare reform, and the Administration's inept campaign for fast track. (Where were the mayors and governors, who overwhelmingly supported it?) Despite these contingencies, protectionists can claim a significant victory. The post-Depression bi-partisan consensus for free trade is eroding on both sides of the aisle. GOP leaders deserve much of the blame. Through their studious stu·di·ous adj. 1. a. Given to diligent study: a quiet, studious child. b. Conducive to study. 2. avoidance of issues like racial preferences, multiculturalism, and mass immigration immigration, entrance of a person (an alien) into a new country for the purpose of establishing permanent residence. Motives for immigration, like those for migration generally, are often economic, although religious or political factors may be very important. , elites who favor free trade have allowed the likes of Patrick Buchanan to define nationalism in an anti-capitalist way. In addition, their tactic of making trade deals with one country at a time has let protectionists harp on the flaws of each country (e.g., Mexico) rather than force them to make the argument for higher taxes on trade. Free-traders would make a further mistake if they acquiesced in President Clinton's plans to assuage as·suage tr.v. as·suaged, as·suag·ing, as·suag·es 1. To make (something burdensome or painful) less intense or severe: assuage her grief. See Synonyms at relieve. 2. the Left by incorporating environmental and labor regulations into a new fast-track bill. The premise of such regulations -- that freedom to trade depresses wages or causes environmental damage -- has little empirical support. They would force poor countries to price themselves out of the market; and they are best understood as a means of adding restraints to trade in the guise of removing them. Republican congressmen still largely support free trade, but some of them may draw the wrong lesson from fast track's defeat: viz., that protectionism protectionism Policy of protecting domestic industries against foreign competition by means of tariffs, subsidies, import quotas, or other handicaps placed on imports. is a powerful political issue that conservatives should adopt. Indeed, the notion that free trade is a political loser is one reason why neither party has properly recognized and proclaimed the success of NAFTA NAFTA in full North American Free Trade Agreement Trade pact signed by Canada, the U.S., and Mexico in 1992, which took effect in 1994. Inspired by the success of the European Community in reducing trade barriers among its members, NAFTA created the world's ; doing so might have prevented the fast-track defeat. Adopting protectionism would subvert conservative ends by bolstering Big Government. And it is not even politically advantageous. Mr. Buchanan's presidential campaigns have demonstrated that protectionism does not attract enough blue-collar workers to compensate for the pro-market conservatives it alienates. Some conservatives now argue that free-traders should let the protectionist wind blow itself out. A far better course would be to aim higher, and mount an immediate push for transatlantic free trade. The groundwork has already been laid: talks on free trade between North America North America, third largest continent (1990 est. pop. 365,000,000), c.9,400,000 sq mi (24,346,000 sq km), the northern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. and Europe are under way. This would have the support of a wide range of lobbies not usually interested in trade policy, notably backers of NATO NATO: see North Atlantic Treaty Organization. NATO in full North Atlantic Treaty Organization International military alliance created to defend western Europe against a possible Soviet invasion. worried by Continental drift continental drift, geological theory that the relative positions of the continents on the earth's surface have changed considerably through geologic time. Though first proposed by American geologist Frank Bursley Taylor in a lecture in 1908, the first detailed theory . Protectionists would find it harder to argue against trade with economies, wage levels, and systems of regulation similar to ours. Above all, it would be made clear that fast track's defeat does not signal a general rout of economic freedom at the hands of Pat Buchanan  This article may be too long.Please discuss this issue on the talk page and help summarize or split the content into subarticles of an article series. and the AFL-CIO's John Sweeney John Sweeney is the name of:
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