The Hindu : Bush warns against economic isolationism

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 14, 2004

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International

Bush warns against economic isolationism

WASHINGTON, MARCH 13. With the Democrats upping the ante on the outsourcing issue, the United States President, George W. Bush, today warned Americans that ``economic isolationism'' was a recipe for ``disaster,'' reminding them that millions of jobs in the country depended on opening the economy by other nations.

``Some politicians in Washington.... want to respond in old, ineffective ways. They want to increase federal tax.... They want to build up trade walls, and isolate America from the rest of the world — but economic isolationism would threaten the millions of good American jobs that depend on exports,'' Mr. Bush said, referring to the growing concern over loss of jobs, in his weekly radio address today.

``These tired, old policies of tax and spend, and economic isolationism, are a recipe for economic disaster. There's a better way to help our workers and help our economy,'' he said.

``We must pursue a confident policy of trade. Millions of American jobs depend on our goods being sold overseas; and foreign-owned companies employ millions of Americans here at home. We owe those workers our best efforts to make sure other nations open up their markets, and keep them open,'' Mr. Bush said.

He said the answer to loss of jobs due to outsourcing was training American workers for the next, higher level of jobs.

``We need to make sure American workers are prepared for the higher-skilled jobs our economy is creating.... We have a plan to help our high schools and community colleges train people in the skills they need. We're helping workers who have been displaced by the effects of trade, by giving them assistance for job training, and health care, and relocation expenses.''

— PTI

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