Trade will be a big issue

Hillary Clinton, frontrunner for the Democratic party’s presidential nomination Monday said that all US trade agreements should be evaluated every five years and, if necessary, amended. – FT story

The trade issue is always complex when you get into the weeds of specifics but the world and the US has benefited greatly from international trade. Exports as well as imports have increased substantially during the last decade and millions have been taken out of poverty through trade. Trade is becoming especially important to the US because it is the very area which we expect to grow to offset the free-fall in housing. The dollar is at a low, so US good are cheaper. This may not be the time for renegotiation of our agreements.

Another important reason for trying to enhance trade is the potential for a calmer world. Isolation is bad for the world and for the United States. Anything that helps America be more aware of the world aand interact with others is good.

As quoted by Michael Shermer in “What is Your Dangerous Idea?” –

“Where goods cross frontiers, armies won’t"