| Adam Smith held labor as something sacred and the | | | | not the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or |
| core of all societies. If he lived today, he would be | | | | the baker, that we expect our dinner, but from the |
| against Free Trade and Globalization as it is practiced. | | | | regard to their own interest" - On the other side of |
| Today workers are the main commodities being | | | | the coin , he believed selfish "private interests" led to |
| traded. Workers are put on a global trading block to | | | | the "spirit of monopoly" which is obviously happening |
| compete with one another down to the lowest levels | | | | today in the global economic arena. There is nothing |
| of wage slave and even child labor. Smith would tell | | | | really free about it especially when workers have no |
| Free Traders not to use his name as a tool for their | | | | voice in the process and are at the bottom of any |
| counterfeit free markets. He would have rejected | | | | discussion about Globalization and Free Trade. |
| the greed, power and money that drives Free Trade. | | | | Protestors are put down fast while meetings of the |
| He was really a Populist who challenged both | | | | elite groupings take place. The elite groups from |
| capitalists and colonialists to conduct business for the | | | | governments, vast-transnational corporations and |
| good of all. Free Trade has narrowed competition to | | | | economists who are far from the real world work |
| elite groupings and vast-trans national corporations. It | | | | day, all meet to set the markets according to their |
| has closed the door to fair trade. | | | | wills. They concentrate on production and investment |
| The industrial revolution and capitalism did not exist in | | | | and ignore the workers. In a weird way, Capitalism |
| its modern form when Adam Smith lived. He was not | | | | and Communism have locked hands in the |
| a supporter of "laissez-faire" practices in the | | | | degradation of human dignity in the work day. |
| transaction of business and never even used the | | | | Unemployment rates in the U.S. and other major |
| term. Farming and mercantile enterprises were the | | | | countries are fabricated to cover the most massive |
| main business pursuits of his time. Manufacturing and | | | | dislocation of workers in history. The U.S. prison |
| production as we know it were something coming in | | | | population keeps breaking records and only about |
| the future. Free Trade is based on moving production | | | | 40% of all workers qualify for unemployment |
| and factories from place to place base on the | | | | insurance. This demonstrates the vast voids in the |
| cheapest labor markets of the world. Smith believed | | | | reporting of unemployment. The term |
| the opposite as far as wages are concerned. He | | | | underemployment which was once used to cover |
| believed that better wages improved the capacity of | | | | workers who could not find a full time job has now |
| workers who are encouraged by enjoying the fruits | | | | faded away. A person making only a $100 a month is |
| of their work to the utmost. He still would have been | | | | now considered employed. At the same time, |
| against government controlling the flow of business | | | | governments keep reporting statistical prosperity |
| but at the same time he would have confronted | | | | while economic decay is obviously all around us. |
| those who live off the suffering of workers. He | | | | Franklin Roosevelt said economic diseases are highly |
| would point to the government's part in business as | | | | communicable. Today these disease are an epidemic |
| the result of the free enterprise system failing its | | | | seemingly out of control. An economic virus has |
| mission to serve the whole of any society. | | | | infected the world. A new kind of colonialism has |
| Smith did say "self interests" were the roots of good | | | | been bred. Nations find they must control their |
| enterprises but meant it in a different way as it is | | | | interests worldwide. This causes terrorism and wars. |
| defined today. His most famous statement was "It is | | | | |