Nation IN BRIEF : MICHIGAN : Perot Blasts NAFTA at Lansing Rally

The U.S. economy would be destroyed by the North American Free Trade Agreement, Ross Perot told thousands of cheering demonstrators as he called for anti-NAFTA rallies across the nation. “If we get organized, it’s dead on arrival,” Perot said of the proposed free trade agreement between the United States, Mexico and Canada. “It will destroy our economy. It will destroy our country,” he said. “And it won’t help the Mexican worker.” The state Capitol rally, attended by about 2,500 people, was organized by Sen. Donald W. Riegle Jr. (D-Mich.), who called NAFTA a “classic case of Wall Street versus Main Street.” NAFTA would wipe out most barriers to trade among the three nations and would take effect Jan. 1 if approved by Congress.