CAFTA Watch

The California Yankee has all the bases covered on the House's passage of the Central America Free Trade Agreement, touching not just on its economic importance, but its political significance as well.

I haven't followed the proceedings closely enough to debate about the particulars of CAFTA, but in general I am heartily in favor of this kind of free trade legislation. There are those on both the Left and the Right who howl to the high heavens over the perfidious eviiiiils of globalization that this kind of agreement promotes, but I think CY, who has a few qualms himself, nails it on the head:

I sometimes wonder if these free trade agreements are truly in our best interest. My misgivings stem from the negative effects of globalization, such as the continuing loss of manufacturing jobs in the U.S. But we aren't going to stop globalization so it makes sense to manage it through these free trade agreements.

Yup. I don't buy the Fortress America crap economically any more than I do in terms of national security. The economic base shifts whether we like it or not - better to ride the wave than attempt to fight it.

(I should mention that I have a friend, a legislative assistant, who has been pulling her hair out trying to push this bill through. Congrats!)