Re: fast track

["Max B. Sawicky" <maxsaw@xxxxxxxxx>]

> Congratulations are due to Max and others who worked against this
> measure.

Thanks but personally I didn't do much except
post a few things on the net.

The real credit as far as EPI is concerned is due
to Rob Scott and Jesse Rothstein, who did most
of the trade work, and Thea Lee of the AFL-CIO
(formerly of EPI).

Politically of course the center of opposition was
House democrats under the leadership of Dick
Gephardt and David Bonior, and the AFL-CIO.

One new political factor was the avid participation
of the public employees and other service workers,
who understand their wages and political fortunes in
general depend in some measure on how well
manufacturing workers are doing.  There is more
class solidarity by virtue of this experience.  This
process also elevates how organized labor is viewed
by the general public.

More broadly, there has been established more of
a distinction between the Administration and what
some people call "the democratic faction of the
Democratic Party."  There is an important opportunity
here for the left to float and motivate progressive
proposals to receptive Democrats, not for the sake
of herding people into the DP, but to further the
establishment of a progressive political platform
independent of the White House/ Democratic National
Committee which forces Democrats to choose between
the two and lays the basis for either driving the Clinto-crats
out of the party or contributing to the formation of a
viable third party.

The immediate next step in the wake of the Fast
Track outcome is to propose an alternative approach
to trade which can be used to counter any repeat
attempt to pass Fast Track (a virtual certainty), but
more important to build support for a positive
alternative.  Suggestions in this vein and supporting
research would of course be very welcome.

Cheers,

MBS


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Max B. Sawicky            Economic Policy Institute
maxsaw@xxxxxxxxx          1660 L Street, NW
202-775-8810 (voice)      Ste. 1200
202-775-0819 (fax)        Washington, DC  20036
http://tap.epn.org/sawicky

Opinions above do not necessarily reflect the views
of anyone associated with the Economic Policy
Institute other than this writer.
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