The Selling of "Free Trade": NAFTA, Washington, and the Subversion of American Democracy.

• Author: Landau, Saul

The Selling of "Free Trade": NAFTA, Washington, and the Subversion of American Democracy by John R. MacArthur Hill & Wang. 388 pages. $25.00.

John R. MacArthur is the publisher of Harper's and the author of a fine previous book Second Front: Censorship and Propaganda in the Gulf War (Hill & Wang, 1992).

In his latest work, he explores the consequences of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). He focuses on the New York-based Swingline staple company, which, like thousands of other factories, closed down and moved to Nogales, Mexico, a low-wage "pollution haven."

The laid-off U.S. workers and the Mexicans who took their jobs for a fraction of the pay both suffered as a result. MacArthur attributes their suffering to the sleazy partnership between industry and the Clinton gang. A clever advertising and ER. scam fooled the public, while the President...