Re: “Why isn’t the White House doing more to advance free trade?” [July 22, Opinion]:
Instead of expecting more free trade and lambasting President Joe Biden, the authors should make a convincing argument explaining why free trade is a necessity in the first place.
The past 40 years of free-trade policy have clearly shown it is not good. Over that time it has reduced the wealth and prosperity of working Americans while empowering nations with horrible human rights, nonexistent worker protections, excessive pollution, and aggression toward the United States and other allies.
Additionally, the pandemic has shown the obscene fragility of the global supply chain, which directly threatens our national security. So, no, we do not need more free trade. What we need is even more checks on the power of commerce so that we can provide more protections for the American people.
Mark West, Sammamish