When former Nixon speechwriter Bill Safire wrote his column true free enterprise and the present system of outsourcing, I was pleasantly shocked. What took him so long! He recognizes what many peace and justice advocates have realized for decades: that free enterprise can't function properly without some minimal form of democracy and guarantees of basic human rights. I would have thought that conservatives would have come to this conclusion long ago and would have derided "free traders" like Clinton and Dole for their duplicity. He does mention Clinton and his misguided policies; would he have done the same for a Bush presidency, or would he have feared to aid the cause of the suddenly mute peace and justice wing of the Democratic party? It's the very same policy. It's corrupt to the core, enriches the power elite at the expense of consumers and workers, and uses government coercion to manipulate wages downward. It also requires an interventionist military budget with lots of money for weapons development and sales to the very same autocrats who are so harshly criticized by Safire. He still doesn't get the connection to the military. Another term with Clinton should bring him around.
10/29/96