Posted on 04/01/2016 4:40:29 PM PDT by central_va
Theoretically, “free trade” sounds like a great idea. Consumers get the benefit of increased competition for their buying dollars, manufacturers get to locate or source from the lowest cost labor pool, and exporters have the opportunity to sell into new markets with no tariffs. Unfortunately, there are fundamental real-world flaws that exist with “free trade” that have led to the most massive wealth transfer in the history of the world. The United States has not witnessed a trade surplus since 1975, and since then $10 Trillion has been lost through trade deficits caused by elimination of tariffs.
The most significant flaw with “free trade” agreements is that they are impossible to enforce, making competition impossible. “Free trade” depends on the premise that all countries will play by the same rules. However, in the real world assuring that this occurs is incredibly expensive, time consuming, and inefficient to contest. The reality is, tariffs are not the only barrier to fair trade. Trade is impacted by much more intangible state-sponsored “trade weapons” such as currency manipulation, technology transfer requirements, joint-venture policies, selective customs policies, underhanded government subsidies and countless other tools. Under “free trade” agreements, the U.S. essentially relies on faith-based economic policy with other countries.
Without the presence of tariffs, a “free trade” agreement places the country with lower overall wage rates in a superior position. When two countries with huge differences in labor costs engage in “free trade” eventually all the production that benefits the country with higher wage rates will be transferred to the country with lower wage rates.
(Excerpt) Read more at economyincrisis.org ...
Did you read my post? Every eleventh adult. Think what that would mean if replicated here.
Wait, we can’t even put up small tariffs and reintroduce manufacturing here but we are going to make everyone millionaire? What poppy cock. This is the crazy sh1t that got us in this position in the first place.
Singapore makes smart trade deals. They actually have a "FREE TRADE" agreement with the US (Free Trade is in the TITLE)---But, just one example, Singapore places an excise tax on American exported automobiles and petroleum products that is to high it effectively closes the Singapore market to these and other U.S. goods.
In most cases, all WE (the USA businesses) WANT is ACCESS to THEIR markets---the markets of the nations who have total access to OUR market but don't allow US to sell in THEIR markets. It's pretty simple.
Glad you brought that example up.
Well, you are wrong about the globalists. It is the evolution of trade that necessitates change in the way things are done.
The hated globalists have far less importance than the markets. It is ordinary buying and selling and the people in companies that work everyday making and selling their products that have brought the change. An American or German or Japanese company can reorganize to the point where London offices are in effect just down the hall from the Dallas or Tokyo offices and the people can work together pretty much instantly to resolve an issue with a customer in Brazil or Ivory Coast
Another extreme influence far more important than the globalist ghost are the other people in the world that have already or are presently escaping into the middle class and want the life they see elsewhere. This cannot be over emphasized. People of the world see what the first world countries have and strive mightily to achieve it for themselves.
Lastly the internet and e mail and instant phone at no cost have speed ed the way those folks do business and move product and services and money. That is not globalist crap
One can go on Ebay and buy empty printer cartridges from a Hong Kong vendor, pay with pay pal, and get them in as little as 5 days. An Australian company can hire the Melborne branch of an American company that deals with the home office of a vendor in Paris that actually manufactures in America the products that get shipped to Australia. It happens all the time twentyfour, seven, three sixty five. (a true accounting of events). All are fairly small companies that have developed global reach.That is freedom, not the globalist crap you imagine.
I say this as one who is deeply involved every day with the complexities of international buying and selling for the last 40 years.
there are no Free Traitors except in the demented minds of a few isolationists that can’t get over the 1930’s
Culture is nothing more than the collective character of the individuals in a society.
You cannot have a successful society where a culture exists that doesn't value traits/habits/mindsets that lead to individual success/self-determination and exalts traits that are guaranteed to prevent it.
You can have the best moral character in the world but if someone offshores your job our outsources your job to Wipro and subsequently you lose your wife, your house and kids and end up distitute what the are you supposed to do?
You make excellent points on how technology has been a great facilitator of trade. No denying the fact. But the facts on the ground (i.e., trade deficits) still indicate that we open our markets to the world’s producers, while they block our imports, either by way of tariffs or currency exchange manipulation.
Yes, there are traitors, make no mistake about that. “no understanding about the world” Hey, well you might one of the globalist POS as I read it. I live in Ohio. Tell me about the history of the Japanese destroying eight of our top ten industries, especially in my state. I was an engineering designer most of my life, many years spent as a government contractor. Domestic materials only by god. I kept many industries in business and their families. I always had one vendor my boss had a cozy relation with always sending me foreign S*it. It’s no wonder this old Marine didn’t beat the sh*t out of this traitor, once or twice is a mistake, more than that is intent to defraud.
One of my recent comments: Foreign countries violate our patents with impunity. The uni-shock for motorcycles was invented by an American Ohio designer. All four Japanese motorcycle manufacturers violated his patent. That was an interesting story, jury awarded him 7 million dollars and the judge limited the award to $50,000. Realistically, the US should have punished them severely for this. That’s right, anything goes when you’re a free traitor. Spit.
That’s why Reagan’s idea was NAFTA. And the WTO. To fool us.
These fascist Free Traitors™, and they are a lot of them here, won’t answer the simplest of questions, for instance “are you a Cruz supporter”. They are cowards. F them all.
Should I post Reagan's record on protectionism? It is a long list.
Sure, right after you post Obama’s record.
the trade imbalances are between those engaged in trade and are not sovereign. America has no imbalance with say China. Millions of American individuals and companies however do. This is basically economics on a personal level because the individuals and companies seek what they perceive as the best value for the best price. they are free to do so.
Trade imbalances are not a problem. I have trade imbalances with Walmart, the grocery store, my medical group. My clients have a trade imbalance with me. Two of the Clients are international and have an international imbalance of trade as a result.In the past, we Americans had imbalances where we sold far more than we bought. Our customers created and accepted that imbalance. It’s not a big deal really.
When compared with real problems like government spending and Barack Obama, the trade imbalance is trivial at best
——Ohio-—
There you have it. Ohio
they don’t call it the rust bowl for nothing
Industries that became obsolete and died with backward unions that did not believe their efforts were not up to the new world standard.
Ohio is the problem. Governor Kasich made great strides but the democrats may yet wrest away the changes made in his administration.
On a positive note however, I spent a week in a union factory just outside Cleveland and to my absolute disbelief, the guys were listening to Rush on the job. There might be hope yet
Yes, I know the theory. But in reality, it is not always “individuals” that are the trade parties. Many of the Chines companies are fronts for the government. When they develop a trade surplus with US companies, they can take that money and specifically use it to our detriment, for example, by buying up US industry, and either exporting the factory directly, or stealing, ahem purchasing, the proprietary technology from it which makes us less competitive as a nation.
When the foreign govt. pegs its currency artificially to the dollar, it provides another way for the foreign country to behave in a way that is not simple free Adam-Smith invisible hand trade.
Your description is too idealistic, and ignores the shenanigans that governments engage in all the time.
As Jefferson also said, (http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/t/thomasjeff138493.html), “Merchants have no country. The mere spot they stand on does not constitute so strong an attachment as that from which they draw their gains.” This is an added problem as it indicates that interest in what is best for one’s country, aka patriotism, is far from the minds of corporations, moreso for multinational corporations, who are, to my way of thinking, more like medieval warlords, than Renaissance merchants.
all that is just part of the game. think muddy football field or race track.
there can be some changes and trump will certainly work hard to see that they come to fruition. Trump will not however throw out the baby with the bath water. he is not stupid. He is not an ideologue like Obama that can’t abandon the ideology that is destroying his efforts
Don’t be denigrating the people of Ohio, as*hat. Industries that became obsolete, sure there are some, but that isn’t what happened to the vast majority of them, victimized with the help of our government. Why don’t you vote for Kasich since you know him so well, lol. My county voted for Trump overwhelmingly, no small effort from me with ammunition from my brothers at Free Republic. The days of the F’n globalist are finished. Kasich has admitted support for amnesty, support for H1-bs, and a host of other liberal policies including TPP. Another Soros sellout like the ex governor Strickland running for the senate. You show your ignorance.
I think you just proved my point.
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