Customer Reviews

Freedom From Want: American Liberalism and the Global Economy

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Ed Gresser is a loyal Democrat that recognizes the value of trade to the economy of the USA. His well reasoned book in suppoert of international trade is clear in presenting a guide for future action that is less selfish than the recent positions taken by the Democratic party in regard to trade.

Edward Glesser is a former Clinton Administration economist who is dismayed by the attraction of protectionism to those on the political left. His historical description of trade politics in the U.S. makes it clear that trade protectionism has traditionally been a tenet of the right, championed by Alexander Hamilton in the 18th century, Henry Clay and William McKinley in the 19th century and Herbert Hoover in the 20th, among others.

Glesser does an excellent job exposing shallow protectionist rhetoric that pines for a utopia that never was prior to trade liberalization in the latter half of the 20th century. While acknowledging that trade causes job loss in some industries, he proves that it is a tiny fraction of overall job loss and losses of all kinds have been swamped by overall employment growth.

Glesser also gives powerful examples of benefits from trade to workers in the third world and, perhaps most importantly from a left-wing point of view, he notes the protectionists really offer no alternatives to these workers should such trade be curtailed.

Much of the book shies away from political sloganeering, although Glesser's suggested changes make it clear that he endorses many left-wing policy proposals outside of trade. People who want to learn some facts and see the big picture would be far better off listening to people such as Glesser rather than populist simpletons such as Lou Dobbs.