‘Free Trade’ Exacts a Human Cost

Well, well, well: The snow job seems eternal. I just read James Flanigan’s column “GATT Reality Check Draws on a Vault of Strong Reserves” (Nov. 27). All I can say is: ‘What was the big hurry?’ GATT is 28,000 pages long. Standing on end it is eight feet high. Who has read it all? All one has to do today is say he is for free trade and you’re an idiot if you oppose it. It doesn’t matter what the details are. “It’s for free trade, so vote for it.” Oh, I forgot--we didn’t vote for it, our wonderful, moral, representatives did.

How can we compete with other countries that have slave labor? There must be a fair playing field in regards to trade. I have stopped buying any foreign goods if I can help it; besides, most of the goods made in Singapore and other international sweatshops are not any good anyway. The unfortunate, tragic situation is that soon there might not be any quality alternative.

GREG PETERSON

Anaheim