An American Catastrophe

New York Times by Bob Herbert | Nov. 20, 2009 (Opinion)
Detroit

Detroit and its environs are suffering the agonies of the economic damned because of policies, crafted at the highest national and corporate levels, that resulted in the implosion of crucially important components of America’s manufacturing base. Those decisions have had a profound effect on the fortunes not just of Detroit, or even Michigan, but the entire U.S. economy. Full Story »

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Dwight Rousu
3.9
 by Dwight Rousu - Nov. 22, 2009

Hebert makes the deterioration of Detroit palpable, and accurately pins the blame on the lack of an industrial policy that has resulted in enormous job losses, and collapse of a city.

"Free trade" is the freedom for corporations to trade away good jobs.

Americans, whether they live in big cities, suburban towns or rural areas, need jobs, and when those jobs are eliminated (for whatever reasons — technological advances, globalization) without being replaced, the national economy is guaranteed at some point to hit a wall.

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