In a 1500 word article discussing labor's view of Senator Clinton's position on trade, the Post uses the term "free trade" or its derivatives three times. It is dfficult to see what the adjective "free" adds in a sentence like "they say she opposes legislative measures -- such as trade barriers -- to slow the loss of American jobs if they would restrain free trade." As noted before, these deals are not free trade agreements. They don't do anything to reduce many barriers, such as barriers that keep highly educated foreign professionals like doctors and lawyers from working in the United States. Also these trade agreements increase some barriers, most importantly patent and copyright protection. For these reasons it would be much more accurate to simply leave out the word "free."
--Dean Baker
