The Selling of Free Trade: Nafta, Washington, and the Subversion of American Democracy

by John R. MacArthur

A disturbing expose of the inner workings of power in America focuses on the debate over the North American Free Trade Agreement, uncovering the bi-partisan coalition that forced its passage ostensibly to help workers everywhere, but in reality to allow corporations free access to cheap labor.

Genres: Politics, Economics, History

Hardcover

First published April 1, 2000

Reviews

[Andrew Figueiredo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not going to write a super-extensive review, but MacArthur is a talented journalist who put together a good takedown of how NAFTA was passed. He spares few in his criticism and provides a really good behind the scenes look at how the Clinton administration worked with the Business Roundtable and other traditionally GOP groups to get the deal passed. To boot, the side agreements turned out to be virtually worthless, despite the capitulation of Gephardt on their promise. And passage was only secured with a bunch of promises to random members of Congress. But at times, MacArthur seems to brush off things like consumer prices. He's a bit too one-sided, and I say that as a trade-skeptic.

"The Selling of Free Trade" was nonetheless a pretty good expose of what modern trade deals look like. Undemocratically negotiated, rammed through Congress, overhyped in elite media and political circles.

[Imaduddin Ahmed · Rating 2 out of 5]

A long rant.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

a book whose prescience has been re-asserted during the Trump presidency. Are you a progressive who doesn't understand why people hate "globalists"? MacArthur's book is a fine place to start.

[Roger · Rating 5 out of 5]

REVIEW: The Selling of Free Trade - ZCommunicationshttps://zcomm.org › znetarticle › review-the-selling-of-f...
Dec 1, 2000 — Review by Roger Bybee .

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, there's a mix of views in this book, and what started out as a unilateral attack one one party, ended up being and independent criticism of all politicians and businessmen involved in selling out America's workforce, for excessive profits. This book was written well before the economic fallout we've recently witnessed, and it reads like an observance of all the ingredients that were put into place to create the economic disasters faced by many Americans. Corporate America basically gutted the middle class workers, and that could have lead to the inability of that class to make payments on mortgages, cover credit debt, and basically sustain itself as wages decreased, and the cost of living increased. Simultaneously, jobs were moving out of the country just so big businesses could save on wages and avoid expenditures on environmental regulations that Mexico seemed to lack. The Swingline stories, the indifference expressed by the U.S. leadership, and the tales of life among laboring Mexicans, all provide an excellent compendium of how U.S. free market capitalist ideals are destroying America, and beginning to erode the economies of the world.