[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 91 (Friday, July 14, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1233-E1234]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            WHAT IF THERE WERE FREE TRADE IN OPINION MAKERS?

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 13, 2000

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, what if there were free trade in opinion 
makers? According to consumer advocate Ralph Nader, the chief purveyors 
of the inevitability of unfettered global trade themselves would have a 
lot to lose if free trade were applied to them. I submit this article 
to my colleagues.

                            (By Ralph Nader)

       Imagine the following: The New York Times announced today 
     that it was replacing its columnists, Thomas Friedman and 
     Paul Krugman with the two leading bilingual writers from the 
     Beijing Daily. A Times spokesman explained that the move was 
     necessary to meet the global competition.
       The two prize-winning Chinese newspaper columnists--Li 
     Gangsun and Mao Yushi--pledged to work hard, and write 4 
     columns a week, if desired, for $25 a column. Media analysts 
     estimated that the Times would reduce its costs by over 95%.
       An accompanying Times editorial urged other companies and 
     think tanks to consider opening up their ranks to free trade 
     in executive talent from Third World countries. ``It is time 
     to practice what we preach and join the globalization 
     movement,'' said the editorial, ``and achieve the long-hidden 
     efficiencies from these markets.''
       The Times cited two examples where the CEOs from Boeing and 
     General Electric, at retirement, replaced themselves with 
     highly regarded, experienced executives from Shanghai and 
     Cuernavaca who are taking office with an unheard of pay 
     package for them of $19,000 a year. These two gentlemen had 
     long prior experience with Boeing factory outsourcing in 
     China and GE factories and suppliers moving to Mexico. With 
     today's on-line technology, they are able to remain where 
     they are, with occasional visits to the States.
       Tom Friedman's last column had a wistful tone--given his 
     past paeans to corporate globalization--but it had a defiant 
     note when he concluded by writing: ``I regret that my editors 
     failed to recognize both my long service to the Times and my 
     double Pulitzer prizes. It seems that the intangibles of 
     quality and place have no value anymore. Apparently, 
     everything now is for sale!''
       At a departure ceremony, his editors gave Friedman an award 
     for the reporter who has travelled the most and predicted 
     that he would have a fine prospect for employment with fast 
     expanding global Chinese media.
       Professor Krugman's good-bye column was totally different. 
     He developed an amended theory of comparative advantage to 
     rebut the very thought of replacing him. ``Totally unique 
     commodities like me,'' wrote the noted economist, ``can only 
     adhere to a doctrine of superior advantage. My eminence 
     cannot be compared to the exchange of early 19th century 
     Portuguese wine for British textiles.''
       Krugman declared that he will return to his full-time 
     faculty post at MIT where he will research how the practice 
     of monopolistic competition can be exempted from world trade 
     agreements and the imminence of widespread distance learning.
       Li Gangsun's first column recommended that the Chinese 
     government bring a number of WTO complaints against the non-
     tariff trade barriers erected by the upper classes of U.S. 
     corporations and universities. ``Since everything is for 
     sale,'' he wrote, ``then all these positions should be 
     considered `commerce and trade' and opened to vigorous 
     competition worldwide.''
       As for those ``tenured economics professors at Harvard and 
     Stanford, who are always testifying for total free trade 
     between nations,'' he wrote, ``they are the essence of 
     impermissible barriers to trade. There are numerous Chinese 
     academics who could do a better job, either in situ or by 
     Internet instruction, at far lower salaries, thus lightening 
     the tuition and debt load for American students.''
       Word was leaked out that the upcoming meeting of the 
     BusinessRoundtable, which will be closed to the press, will 
     have on its agenda a debate over the topic--``Globalization: 
     if it's good for our workers, why not our top executives?''
       Meanwhile, over at the offices of the U.S. Chamber of 
     Commerce near the White House, CEO Tom Donahue is huddled 
     with his aides. The Chamber was planning a joint press 
     conference with its counterpart Mexican Chamber of Commerce 
     to protest President Clinton's clear violation of NAFTA by 
     banning Mexican truck drivers from access to all 50 states.
       Already the Teamsters Union and consumer safety groups have 
     been emphasizing the traffic safety hazards of such poorly 
     maintained trucks. Moreover, Teamster drivers are angry over 
     having to compete with $7 a day Mexican drivers.
       The aides have new information for Mr. Donahue that is 
     furrowing his brow. It seems

[[Page E1234]]

     that the head of the Mexican Chamber, Jorge Zapata, after 
     reading the Times, is preparing an offer to replace Mr. 
     Donahue. Zapata, a hard-driving, Harvard Business School 
     trained economist, is willing to work for one-eighth of Mr. 
     Donahue's executive compensation package and move to 
     Washington before the year's end. This could lead to 
     reductions in management salaries at the Chamber below Mr. 
     Donahue's level and result in an overall reduction in 
     membership dues.
       Mr. Donahue heaved a sigh and, deferring comment, suggested 
     that they all go out for a three-martini lunch.

     

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