Trade restrictions will not help underpaid Chinese workers Re: “America’s economic troubles are deep-seated,” From Readers, Sept. 6
Madeleine Soudee laments that China, India and Vietnam are “intensely competitive by ignoring human rights and using cheap labor, including unpaid prisoners.” I wonder if she is aware that the world’s largest unpaid work force is not in China but here in America, where U.S. inmates are forced to work for federal and state governments.
Trade restrictions will not improve human rights in Asia. Without the freedom to sell to Americans, Asian economic development would regress dramatically. Millions of workers would lose their jobs and be forced back to subsistence-level farming. Soudee cannot see this as progress.
Finally, foreign trade is good because it frees up labor to do what Americans do best, such as make heavy machinery or provide services in the finance, medical and education sectors. Soudee should celebrate the fact that Americans don’t have to make trinkets and T-shirts anymore.
David Bier
Research associate,
Competitive Enterprise Institute
Washington
Obama should stick up for nonunionized majority
Re: “Note to Obama: MI unions oppose shared sacrifice,” Beltway Confidential, Sept. 6
The inability of the Democratic leadership to disavow the recent comment by Jimmy Hoffa are a harbinger of the lack of insight the Democrats have into the current economic situation. Unions do not create jobs and with less than 10 percent of the work force unionized, it is difficult to understand why the remaining 90 percent should be forced to support their extravagant benefits while no such guarantees are given to the small businesses, farmers and nonunion workers who have to pay for them.
The first thing Obama needs to say is that he will abolish all governmental unions. It is a matter of choice that one goes into government service and the benefits are clearly laid out. Most businesses want to take care of their workers, but are afraid to hire more people as the costs associated can be exorbitant, especially if a union is dictating terms.
Thomas Winthrop
Fairfax
Power plant shutdown portends future energy rationing
Re: “Alexandria power plant to shut down,” Aug. 30 & “Satisfaction with Pepco plunges,” July 11
While environmental extremists hale the announcement of the closing of the Potomac River Generating Station, consumers award Pepco a score of 54 on a scale of 100 and Business Insider calls it the “most hated” company in America due to repeated outages during adverse weather conditions that left many without power for a few hours or even days.
If these extremists continue to have their way with coal-fired power plants, energy rationing lurks just around the corner, policymakers will institute peak usage surcharge rates and regularly scheduled blackouts, and Pepco customers will yearn for the good old days.
The environmentalists cite asthma as a primary reason for this plant’s closure. Take it from somebody with asthma, their successful efforts to replace my albuterol inhaler with the “more ozone friendly” – but less effective — version shows how much they truly care about people like me.
Brian Wrenn
Washington
