Posted on 08/20/2016 7:53:47 AM PDT by expat_panama
As a longtime advocate for capitalism, I’ve been considering the prospects for free market ideas in a White House presided over by either of the two major party candidates for president. It’s not an easy challenge. Both candidates, in their own way, misunderstand the need for, and the benefits of, a free economy. And it’s difficult to say which brand of wrongheadedness is more damaging – attacking the best aspects of our current economic system or defending the worst.
Neither major party candidate seems to understand the advantages of a free economy.
Hillary Clinton... ...“every so often” the American people need to “save capitalism from itself.” But as any entrepreneur will tell you, it’s a far more pressing task to protect the productive sector of the economy from overly burdensome government policies...
...Trump, on the other hand, is famous for building a business empire. In many ways, though, he has been more of a political operative than a capitalist... ...long operated in the shadow zone between government and the market economy, where development deals often involve use of eminent domain, zoning exemptions, and government subsidies... ...Trump considers himself the greatest deal-maker...
...the more politically regulated a sector of the economy becomes, the less it prospers. In a truly capitalist system, entrepreneurs acquire property by purchasing it voluntarily at a price agreed to by the previous owner. Neither party seeks or receives any subsidies or special treatment. All parties hope to make a profit, but none have any guarantees...
...it may be too much to hope for one of the major parties to nominate a candidate to carry the banner of capitalism... ...We simply need a leader with the common sense and humility to understand that government, as President Reagan put it, is more often the problem than the solution...
(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...
Too bad for you. There is no such thing as free economy. It took government action to make ‘trade’ deals. This action turned out just fine for the 10 percent, particularly those that worship that golden Wall Street bull. What is completely left out is the literal impact upon the formerly independent middle class. Government action stripped away their ability to compete. You want a thriving economy, get government out of the business of setting the wage scale.
There will be some problems with a Trump presidency. We can hold his feet to the fire after he is elected.
But I'll take the glass that is 2/3 full as opposed to being given the one that is bone Marxist dry.
Vote Trump.
If the prospect of a Clinton-packed Supreme Court isn’t enough by itself to get you to vote, then you may have too narrow a view.
“To many of these ‘free economy’ thinkers, a ‘free economy’ requires open borders to be able to freely move labor without regard to borders, rendering citizenship meaningless.”
Housing isn’t free.
Roads aren’t free.
Ten young men from the Third World can pay more for a housing unit than 90% of freerepublic readers (and their adult partners) can.
The end result of open borders would be that most native-born citizens of the USA would be driven out of the prime job-creating regions of the USA.
The invaders don’t come with guns, but they do destroy the wage and housing price structures of the US working class.
One former factory worker now homeless had his shoe bit by a water moccasin he stepped on while living near a swamp. He also has run into Florida panthers. He said don’t run to or from the panthers, but stare them down.
For me, I am only interested in building the US economy. Free enterprise today means cheap crap from China or India and the destruction of the US economy. Enough of this defeatist garbage. If this so distresses you then, as with the other globalist stooges, declare your fealty to Hillary and begone! I am US first, last and foremost. We must take care of our own country first and let the rest of the world take care of themselves.
Nice try, but Forbes sees “capitalism” as “crony capitalism” as practiced by Obama. They are concerned that the Clinton Crime Foundation wants to renegotiate the cut.
They have absolutely no interest in free trade.
Bet I know where Freddy boy stands on TPP...
For a minute I was worried this was written by THE Fred Smith of FedEx.
If you were talking about McCain/Obama, then sure I'd buy in.
If you were talking about Romney/Obama, I wouldn't. As imperfect as Romney was, he was still a cut above Obama.
If we're talking Trump/Clinton, there's no question Trump is by far the better candidate. Trump is the best candidate since Ronald Reagan by far, and only time will tell if he exceeds Reagan or not. He very well may.
The Free Trade Trap (and that's just what it is), is nothing but nonsense. We don't have free trade now, and it's rather sad to see someone so duped by support for something that doesn't exist. Lets address some issues associated with what is going on, that I think Trump has spotted and disagrees with. Some of this will obviously morf into my thoughts. Knowing that lets go.
Do we have free trade? No. We allow China's products to come into the U. S. with very little or no import fees. China manipulates it's currency so that our products going in become 30 to 40% more expensive. Thus they are not competitive. Thus we sell very little to China in the way of manufactured goods. THAT IS NOT FREE TRADE, AND WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS FOR OVER TWO DECADES. Forbes still doesn't acknowledge this. And so I must ask, why would anyone listen to them?
Here's a dilema. It's 1930s Germany. Should we trade with Germany? The whole world knows what is coming. Do we trade with Germany? The answer today is yes. We knowingly trade with a nation we know is going to turn into a world pariah nation.
China has threatened Japan, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. It has already appropriated islands in dispute without legal standing. It takes actions that are belligerent against even the United States. Witness our P3 Aircraft shoot down. Did we get an apology for that? LOL
Folks need to wake the hell up.
Let's move on to another aspect of this. Isn't healthy trade supposed to improve the lot of both nations? Isn't that a good measure of whether trade is good or not? Of course it is.
Our trade with China has enabled it to enhance it's cities immeasurably. It's economy isn't perfect, but it moves at a pace that dwarfs it's pre U. S. trade days. It's military is building, it's technology has leaped forward at least 70 years over the last 20. Hundreds of millions of new jobs opened up. Not just manufacturing jobs, but all the jobs in manufacturing localities, and even remote cities have benefited.
What happened in our nation? We lost tens of millions of jobs. Our tax base was devastated at the local, regional, state, and federal levels. Unlike China's, our infrastructure has decayed for twenty more years. We bring in product from China that last about two years, replacing products that used to last for decades. I have products in my home that have lasted more than 20 years. Every single thing I buy from China lasts about two years. Parts start failing on them. I have a toaster oven right now that lasted one year before parts failed. Right now I have a choice, book end or paper weight. I also need to buy a new one. Did that increase or decrease my standard of living?
I have already addressed what happened in China, how it advanced by 70 years technologically. I didn't address why. China demands a blueprint of exactly what our manufacturers create there. This includes all patent information on anything involved in the process. This is why it leaped forward 70 years. China would have had to figure all this out on it's own. Well, it didn't. What happened to the U. S.? Was there a similar leap forward in technology? Did China transmit any technological advances to the U. S.? Did our nation leap forward 70 years? The fact of the matter is, from around 2000, we leaped about 70 years backwards. We entered a period closer to the depression of the 1930s. Our social safety net and prior derived relative wealthy was the only thing that prevented bread lines and massive homelessness.
Many people lost their homes. Many others lost at least one income in their household. Good paying jobs left, and service sector jobs exploded. Pay? Dirt!
We now have somewhere in the area of 45 to 95 million able bodied people sitting idle. They have no jobs.
Forbes is another entity that thinks we should have no borders, shouldn't vet Syrians headed here, and shouldn't do anything to protect the U. S. Citizen or his income stream.
Forbes only cares about it's corporate entities and friends. F the American public, pure and simple.
Along comes Trump that I think recognizes all this, and Forbes wets itself at the very thought the screwing over of this nation is about to stop dead in it's tracks, and heaven forbid, actually turn around.
I couldn't despise Forbes and it's fellow travelers any more than I do. It has stabbed a knife in the back of every U. S. Citizen, while handing foreign nations and foreign nations a free pass. Crime? Murders, rapes, child molestations, other crimes and riots, who cares? Terrorism? Why that's not such a high price to pay. Justice? Well Sharia is their right. We have no right to forbid them their justice. And make no mistake, this all fits into the Forbes model.
Forbes is an enemy of each of us. It is an enemy of a healthy nation, the United States. We are not healthy today as a nation, and Forbes stands at the forefront of the reason why.
Ronald Reagan asked this question. We damn well need to ask it again. Are we better off? Is our nation better today than it was in 1990? Do we have full employment? Are our citizens lives better off? Are there less pressures or more on the American families? Are local, regional, state, and federal areas of focus better or worse?
Has this "free trade" (that didn't actually exist) benefited our nation in any single way? NO! China stripped us bare, pure and simple.
In past times we would have lit torches, marched on Forbes, and destroyed in one night.
Today we stand separated, and laud the majesty of "free trade", like children who laud the Easter Bunny.
And yet you're having a hard time finding a reason to vote.
What this author doesn’t understand is that there can be no free economy when others countries use various barriers like currency exchange rates, tariffs, quotas, and quality standards to game trade. Many countries practice merchantilism while we tried to practice free trade. It isn’t a “level playing field”.
The article neglects that Trump has espoused free trade....
However, we are continually entangled in complicated free trade agreements that are patently unfair to the US.....Free for other countries but unfair to us....
This is what the so-called conservatives like Bill Krystal think are great.....how has that worked for us so far? Not well? No $hit....
Trump wants to correctly level the playing field....the neo-cons and faux conservatives like McCain and ilk are having meltdowns over this.....
Fair in the real world ain’t fair ....
America first.....if you can’t see the difference ....you need to look at Nafta and TPP...
Every other point that Trump has is very conservative....from Supreme Court picks to Gun rights......
If you can’t get motivated, that’s sad......
Yup! Just like global warming morphed into climate change.
Before his nomination, I pointed out virtually all of the characteristics of Donald Trump described in this article which created a reputation here which led to a zot. We are now faced with a choice on the one hand of a criminal and a traitor and on the other hand a patriot and a man with good intentions.
The choice is clear.
Then you are an idiot.
SCOTUS and border security are imperative
Trump is a capitalist. Even Milton Friedman. Said you cannot have a successful economy with open borders
Trimp wants to lower the death tax and the corporate tax structure. How is that not capitalist.
And of course you are in Panama so what difference will it ever make for you?
“For me it’s getting harder and harder get motivated to vote this year.”
That’s so sad, too bad your girl Marco Foam Boy lost, or were you a Lyin’ Ted guy?
By Free Market the writer means free stuff for all who vote for democrats provided by we the workers
Only a complete idiot would have trouble voting for Trump.
>>>For me it’s getting harder and harder get motivated to vote this year<<<
Really, no motivation to help keep Crooked Lying Hillary out of the White House and save America from the wrath of her Constitution destroying SCOTUS Appointments?
Here’s a solution for you then since you have no skin in the game.
Surrender your American Citizenship and become a Panamanian Citizen. Not sure if that will affect the Social Security Money you receive from the United States though.
That way you will have a real voice in the affairs of the Country in which you choose to reside rather than having to bother yourself about how people living in the United States will be adversely affected after the November Election should Hillary Win.
Carry on...
What would Milton Friedman say?
I’m still amazed at the number of people who equate “capitalism” with “the free market.” They’re so...quaint.
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