When anti-globalization protestors take to the streets, America's liberals cheer them on. For them, globalization helps only large corporations, exploits cheap labor, and rewards lax environmental standards. Tapping into a powerful fear among workers, American liberals have declared free trade and open markets dangerous to America, and are calling for retreat.
Yet in this provocative new book, Gresser shows how his fellow liberals who look to put the brakes on globalization have unwittingly turned their backs on the poor, and have abandoned a tradition heralded by Roosevelt, Kennedy, and Clinton. Instead, they have adopted a view in step with a conservative tradition reaching back to isolationist nation-states of the classical world, such as Sparta. American liberals have forgotten where they come from, and they have little idea how to move forward in finding solutions for global economic problems.
Gresser's book restores the traditional liberal vision of the global economy and prepares it for the future. First, Gresser traces back the American tradition of liberal internationalism, and shows where it got off track. Second, Gresser reaches into the depths of trade policy for clearexamples of how today's liberals are perpetuating policies that hurt the poor and fail to protect American jobs. Third, the book shows how the same policies bring about suffering and instability in the world's poorest countries. Finally, Gresser looks to the future of liberalism and develops ideas to reform America's trade system, eliminate its bias against the poor, and promote stability and prosperity abroad.
Overview