Labor “Union” Day brings out the worst in politicians, of course, but Bush may just mean what he is reported by Reuters to have said:
“Feeling political heat over lost manufacturing jobs, U.S. President George W. Bush marked Labor Day on Monday with the promise he will work to ensure nations attracting U.S. factories overseas have fair trade policies. About 2.5 million of the 3 million U.S. jobs lost since Bush took office in January 2001 have been in the manufacturing sector, and Democrats hoping to unseat him in the 2004 election are using that to say Bush has been a failed steward of the U.S. economy. Acknowledging that “there’s a problem with the manufacturing sector,” Bush said he had directed Commerce Secretary Don Evans to appoint an assistant secretary of commerce to focus exclusively on the needs of manufacturers.
“One way to make sure the manufacturing sector does well is to send the message overseas ... We expect there to be a fair playing field when it comes to trade. See, we in America believe we can compete with anybody just so long as the rules are fair, and we intend to keep the rules fair,” he said. Bush donned a union cap as he spoke to the International Union of Operating Engineers at a heavy equipment training site on a gray, rain-soaked day. He did not single out any countries for increased scrutiny, but U.S. manufacturers are pressuring the Bush administration to protect American jobs against what many see as unfair Japanese and Chinese currency policies.”
“Fair rules” in the parlance of trade politics means mercantilism and regulatory imperialism.
