Pat Buchanan is currently campaigning to become the Republican representative in the next U.S.
Presidential election. He is credited with striking a chord amongst the main stream, blue collar sector
of the country. This is because he has based his economic platform on common myths about free trade and
how it is the cause of the economic problems in the U.S. His theme is that layoffs and the closing of
American plants are the result of foreign companies and countries taking advantage of easy access into
U.S. markets which, in his opinion, is not being reciprocated abroad. This is how he accounts for the
current trade deficit that the U.S. is running with countries like Japan. Pat's economic platform
regarding trade policy can be summarized as follows:
* Impose a 10% tariff on Japanese imports and a 20% tariff on Chinese imports. This would
generate, in his opinion, $20 billion in government revenue and reduce the trade deficit which could be
reinvested into the American economy and help create tax cuts for small businesses.
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Buchanan Street
* Impose a social tariff on Third World manufactured goods to protect U.S. workers' wage rates from
the foreign laborers who are paid a fraction of what their U.S. counterparts earn. He also resents that
foreign companies do not have to adhere to the strict environmental, safety, and health standards that
American firms do yet get free access to the U.S. market via GATT and NAFTA.
It is evident that Pat Buchanan believes that trade deficits and trade with Third World countries are at
the heart of what he perceives to be America's economic problems. He feels that through tariffs the
burden of income taxes paid by U.S. workers and small businesses can be shifted onto consumers who
purchase foreign goods. His underlying sentiment about his...