The corporate myth of free trade

"Free trade" the a top exporters' lobbyist recently told me, "is a theoretical construct. What we’re talking about is practical business transactions.”

My Examiner column argues that "free trade," especially in this age of bailouts, often means "whatever is best for business."

Last November, weeks after bailing out Wall Street and while pushing a $34 billion bailout for U.S. automakers, President George W. Bush, signed an agreement with other world leaders proclaiming, “we underscore the critical importance of rejecting protectionism and not turning inward in times of financial uncertainty.”

Read the whole thing here.