Please consider the following two points. What's the difference between them?
1. The US pushed free-market + lower tariffs for imports of products into other countries. This lead to lower production in those countries, replaced by imports from the US. Leading to lower employment in many cases. [Today that's replaced with imports from China]
2. Other countries export 'services' to the US, in the form of BPOs/KPOs, or H1Bs. This leads to lower production of services in the US, resulting in lower employment in the US.
On the face of it, both are similar. Except one affects workers in the US and the other affects workers in the third-world.
So to balance free-trade, why not free-labor?
I would appreciate thoughtful replies on why free-trade and free-labor are not two sides of the same coin.
1. The US pushed free-market + lower tariffs for imports of products into other countries. This lead to lower production in those countries, replaced by imports from the US. Leading to lower employment in many cases. [Today that's replaced with imports from China]
2. Other countries export 'services' to the US, in the form of BPOs/KPOs, or H1Bs. This leads to lower production of services in the US, resulting in lower employment in the US.
On the face of it, both are similar. Except one affects workers in the US and the other affects workers in the third-world.
So to balance free-trade, why not free-labor?
I would appreciate thoughtful replies on why free-trade and free-labor are not two sides of the same coin.