Web Letters: The Economy Debates

I am puzzled by the "sic" on Romney's quote. American manufacturing is a gigantic success story of the last quarter-century, reaching almost three times the size (even adjusted for inflation) as in 1980. But with automation, it has done it with only about one-third of the previously needed workforce. That's almost nine times the productivity.

It is like the old lament that US agriculture was dying, because fewer farmers were producing more. It is just a temporary transition phase in an extremely healthy growth process.

John D. Froelich

Upper Darby, PA

As your article notes, Kucinich is the only candidate that has a plan for an economy that works for the benefit of ordinary people and the nation. I realize he is a bit dewy-eyed, but unless the American people can control their economy, they cannot fix it. He will pull us out of the WTO and NAFTA. The next step is tariffs behind which we can recreate our industries and jobs. Anyone who wants a piece of the American market must produce and employ people in that market.

Combine these Hamiltonian concepts with Progressive methods of regulating business practices to protect workers' rights, along with health and safety regulations to protect those workers and the public, enforced by a reconstituted civil service system.

I do not see any other candidate besides Kucinich that will not sell this country out to the multinationals on the altar of "Free Trade."

Pervis J. Casey

Riverside, CA