Larry Rohter writes in today's New York Times about the rise of left-leaning leaders in South America. The article is another example of his extraordinary reporting from the continent and is illuminating for several reasons, mainly his explanation of the causes behind the new popularity of the left:

At the outset of the 1990's, "The Washington Consensus" - the name given to the recipe of open markets, privatization and stabilized budgets being pushed by the United States - seemed to have swept away everything before it. ...

But over the past decade, freer trade and increased foreign investment have failed to narrow the gap between rich and poor and left millions of poor people outside the economy and looking in resentfully. Between 1998 and 2003, once inflation is taken into account, Latin America as a whole did not grow at all, according to International Monetary Fund figures.

As a result, in one country after another, the candidates who have been most successful in appealing to voters are those who, like Dr. Vázquez here (Uruguay), promise that the state will play a greater role and not leave the market to its own devices.

Sounds familiar, eh? There was a time when the United States led the world in creating rights for citizenry and workers. Those days are gone. While the rest of world is slowly waking up from the excesses and idiocy of the "free trade" brainwash that went down under Clinton in the 90s, America continues it's corporate joyride over the workers of America, and the world.

Supporters of free trade may chime in about how "productivity" is lowering the wages of Americans, and "open markets" are helpful for American producers. Here's an example:

Democrats are ... now calling for stronger labor and environmental protections in any trade agreements that the United States enters.

But a spokesman for the USTR, Richard Mills, ... said these Democrats' opposition is "counter-intuitive." He characterized their logic as the following: "'I'm sorry, Mr. U.S. Small Businessman. I feel so strongly about the environment in Honduras, and whether a Honduran worker can organize, that I'm not going to let you sell them anything.'"

This is a blatant distortion of the truth. Anyone who has spent any time in, say, South Korea, China, or India knows those countries protect their workers and economies furiously. I lived in South Korea for almost two years and had to hit the black market (and pay through the nose!) for a box of Fruit Loops. The only cars on the road were Hyundai. The only appliances in the kitchens were LG. China is even worse, and the story on India is the same. There is no free market. Just a market that exploits American workers.

Today, and in the coming weeks, there is something we can all (Libs and Cons) do to stop the tide of oppressive economic policies. The Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) is coming to Congress later this year. It needs to be stopped. Yes, we need to pull out of the WTO. Yes, we need to repeal NAFTA. But this year we have a chance to, if not stop the bleeding, at least stop the cut from increasing.

Click here here and here for more details.

God bless America.