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pampango

(24,692 posts)
6. Sarkozy is battling the National Front for the far-right vote. The Front is very anti-immigration,
Sun Apr 8, 2012, 01:19 PM
Apr 2012

anti-trade and anti-EU, so Sarkozy is going after its voters on the issues they value. Those issues may be "considered a more left turn" by some in the US, but the fact is that teabaggers and republicans are more anti-trade (though their politicians are not) and anti-immigration than are Democrats.

Progressives have historically been more low-tariff, pro-immigration than conservatives and still are in Europe and most of the rest of the world. In the US, though, you are right that some on the left look at immigration and trade in a way that is consistent with the way that the right does in Europe (and historically in the US) and calls it a progressive stance.

From the 1880's to the 1980's republicans passed higher tariffs in 1890, 1897, 1922 and 1930. Democrats lowered tariffs in 1894, 1913, 1936, 1947 and 1994.

"The GOP under Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush abandoned the (traditional Republican) protectionist ideology, and came out against quotas and in favor of the GATT/WTO policy of minimal economic barriers to global trade." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tariffs_in_United_States_history#1980s_to_present

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