I never particularly thought of "free trade" as a conservative policy. I thought it was fairly bipartisan that large corporations want to get the cheapest prices for stuff (which often is not within the US).

As far as I am aware, Free Trade was a clinton era policy, which sparked globalization. Yes it cost American industry jobs, but gave rise to a significant boom in non manufacturing jobs.

Free trade and globalization have been around a lot longer than most of us here have been alive, maybe all of is

It has been a rising tide that lifts all boats on our blue marble

All of us, presuming that there's no-one here aged over 200.

I hear the bicentennials are happily collecting social security or serving in congress

The FTA was Reagan/Mulroney era policy. It was enacted by conservatives on both sides of the border, and the liberals on both sides "opposed" it (and then had a religious conversion once they took power again, and supported its successor, NAFTA).

The 88 election debate in Canada is famous for the confrontations around this topic. I was in my early teens it was the first election debate I remember watching and having strong opinions about.

"Free trade", as a named policy position, goes back to the 19th century, though as a _thing_ it's somewhat older.

In particular it was a major political controversy in the UK for most of the 19th century.

Clinton wasn't able to get a significant number of his own party to vote for it while significant numbers of republicans supported it. At the time free trade was a rebuplican talking point and many democrats opposed it.

Because NAFTA is the brainchild of Reagan. Bush Sr worked out most of the policy with CA/MX. Finally, Clinton signed it into law, with little influence on the policies overall.

Clinton push congress to pass it. He may not have had influence to the content but he used his influence to get support.