Our declines in some industries began before nafta. Most of it came from BOTTOM LINE. yes the bean counters didn't reinvest in the industry they worked for.Then the rural vote [ agra business] ended some of it. I know you never heard of the calumet region, it was in chicago, and nortern indiana. There were 8 steel mills there, employing thousands. Then the "farm vote" allowed european steel producers to dump steel into america, so that they could export farm commodities. There were5 oil refineries there also. that area was the hub of the american rail road industry. Almost all of that was gone before NAFTA. Remember "junk bonds" a wall street scheme that let thieves buy companies, raid the pension plans, and then close the company. the employees in most cases lost most of their pension benefits, because ERISA couldn't fund them. I guess what I'm saying is that country has lost it's financial morality, people don't matter, the bottom line does. And the bottom line now hides it's assets over seas.Yes,America is still great, but it was better then.But things change, sometimes for better sometimes for worse. We adapt.