don't believe the reports arguing that nafta termination will cost jobs.

in the short run, it will certainly lead to job losses, as export markets dry up. but, what it would really lead to in the end is a reorganization, as domestic markets further open up. and, this is an issue where the trade deficit is actually relevant, because it is a rough measure of the amount of jobs that can be created by increasing local consumption.

here in ontario, we'd lose jobs in the export industries, like softwood. but, we'd gain jobs in agriculture and services.

but, the environment is more important than jobs. and, that's basically the argument i'd throw out there: we should be doing whatever we can to try and localize production, so we're not wasting so much carbon unnecessarily shipping things around all over the place to undercut labour markets.

anything that stops us from burning all this carbon shipping all this food in from california and mexico is a good thing.

but, it's also worth noting that cancelling nafta is not an end but a means to an end, that end being the much preferable option of a bilateral treaty with the united states, and something less than that with mexico.