Free Republic

Now that the Senate has returned from its August recess, its members have many issues with which to contend. Although health care reform has received much of the attention in recent weeks, another bill, the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (H.R. 2454) or more widely known as Waxman-Markey or “cap & trade,” is equally deserving of scrutiny. This is because most major economic impact studies demonstrate that the “cap & trade” scheme proposed in the Waxman-Markey bill will create massive consumer costs with undefined environmental benefits. In June, the Waxman-Markey bill narrowly passed the U.S. House 219-212...

The orthodox free-trade view of most pundits holds that if Mr Obama accepts the recommendation he will fail the free-trade test. In fact, the truth is just the opposite. Not to accept the tariff recommendation would be a severe blow to open trade and globalisation as well as to America’s future economic health.

NAIROBI, Kenya - A Kenyan man's offer of 40 goats and 20 cows for Chelsea Clinton's hand in marriage may still be on the table — and Hillary Rodham Clinton has promised to convey the "very kind offer" to her daughter.

As President-elect Barack Obama assembles his team of economic advisors it has become readily apparent that he has abandoned his campaign promise of a more fair trade policy after several key positions have been filled by “free traders” with a global economic outlook. Timothy Geithner, former President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, has been tapped by Obama to head up the Treasury Department. If confirmed, Geithner will be charged with shaping finance and monetary policy along with being the president’s principal economic advisor. Geithner has a wealth of experience, working for 13 years at the Treasury Department...

New York, NY (CNS) - Singer/songwriter Sheryl Crow will be releasing her own very "Americana" line of denim jeans and shirts in Dillard's department stores on August 15. The multi-Grammy Award winning artist's clothing line, Bootheel Trading Company, is inspired by western and vintage style. The jeans are designed to be eco-friendly, using only fair-trade cotton and denim. Crow has partnered with Western Glove Works for the affordable fashion line. The most expensive jeans is retailed at $69, and the shirts start at $29. The complete Fall '08 collection will be available nationwide at Dillard's branches and some boutique stores...

Let's suppose that people do decide to "buy local" with the goal of saving the world and reducing their carbon footprint. This will increase the demand for locally grown foods, but it will also have an unintended and likely deleterious consequence; it will increase the demand for farm implements and labor. Since the decision to buy locally is essentially the decision to forsake comparative advantage, every unit of agricultural output will be more resource intensive than it would be under specialization, division of labor, and trade. In other words, each additional unit of output will require more resources than it...

Comprehensive immigration reform may have eluded the 110th Congress, but House Democrats are still hoping to help two groups of workers — fashion models and computer geeks — who are usually linked only in implausible online fantasies. Under current immigration policy, models coming to the United States for a photo shoot or an event — regardless of how short the stay — compete with high-tech workers for precious H-1B visas. But under a bill that cleared the Judiciary Committee last week, the models would be moved into a separate immigration category, freeing up more H-1B slots for the much-needed nerds....

The anti-men U.S. legal system The story below is taken from a comment that appeared on Immigration Watch International. "VAWA" stands for "Violence Against Women Act" My wife is an immigrant from Guatemala who entered the country on a tourist VISA. Before we married, we had a child together and she received well over $30,000 in free healthcare through the state or county. She overstayed her tourist VISA and returned to Guatemala with our son for 3 months over Christmas and the New Year leaving me in the U.S. to work. She asked for money for liposuction surgery in...

Governor Romney needs Congressman Hunter to publicly agree, by January 31, to be his vice presidential running mate. If he has to make compromises to get him, he ought to make them. Congressman Hunter happens to be right about our industrial base and fair trade. [See also links in post #2.] That ticket would give Governor Romney instant credibility both among defense conservatives inclined to support Senator McCain and among core evangelicals inclined to support Governor Huckabee. It might be the party's best chance to avoid a brokered convention. Of course, if Governor Huckabee pulls off one more dazzling debate...

Tribute video for Congressman Duncan Hunter, who ended his candidacy for president today.

WASHINGTON -- By a nearly two-to-one margin, Republican voters believe free trade is bad for the U.S. economy, a shift in opinion that mirrors Democratic views and suggests trade deals could face high hurdles under a new president. The sign of broadening resistance to globalization came in a new Wall Street Journal-NBC News Poll4 that showed a fraying of Republican Party orthodoxy on the economy. While 60% of respondents said they want the next president and Congress to continue cutting taxes, 32% said it's time for some tax increases on the wealthiest Americans to reduce the budget deficit and pay...

Addressing the Republican Leadership Conference at the Mackinac Island Grand Hotel, United States Congressman Duncan Hunter has made trade a major issue in his candidacy for President. Hunter contends that China is illegally devaluing their currency by 40 per cent. This devaluation, according to Hunter, undercuts American production in markets around the world. According to Hunter's figures, America has lost approximately 1.8 million jobs nationwide, the Michigan state losses exceed 54,000 jobs. Hunter appears to be the only Republican candidate who is not a "free trader." He has called the loss of American manufacturing jobs a national security concern. "Our...

Beijing’s state-run Xinhua news service was quick to herald the latest lobbying effort on China’s behalf launched by the Club for Growth, a libertarian organization dedicated to electing public officials who agree with its free trade ideology. “More than 1,000 top American economists have signed a petition to urge Congress not to impose protectionist measures against China,” read the story filed by Xinhua from Washington on August 3. What the Club for Growth is protesting are two bills passed by the Senate Finance and Banking Committees seeking to pressure Beijing to cease its currency manipulation, a practice that gives producers...

BILOXI, Mississippi (Reuters) - Officials from the Federal Reserve on Saturday warned of dangers from a rising tide of trade disputes and the harmful impact on what one otherwise termed a "resilient" United States economy. Three regional Fed presidents steered clear of current economic or monetary policy topics at a panel discussion on the southern U.S. economy at the Southern Governors' Association conference. The presidents of the St. Louis, Dallas and Atlanta Feds, respectively, mostly focused on the dangers of protectionism and the need for an educated and flexible work force to cope with rising foreign competition. The governors convened...

Property Rights activist and ranger, Wayne Hage said, "Either you have the right to own property or you are property." The backbone of the plan was a call for "public/private partnerships." Sustainable Development is not freedom. Not one of the three principles apply.

‘Those dirty communist bastards’. This phrase and similarly worded curses are being uttered by more Americans each day as the headlines in normally apologist media outlets are documenting case after case of Chinese malfeasance this summer of 2007. Headlines such as “More Tainted Chinese Toothpaste found”, “Mattel: 9M More Chinese-made Toys Recalled”, “Melamine in Pet Food may not be Accidental”, and more ominously “China Warns America It May Sell US Treasury Bonds” are perking up American ears. Nothing rattles the average American consumer like stories of beloved family pets dropping like flies, or Polly Pockets and Little People posing a...

Presidential hopeful Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) says current U.S. tax policy puts American manufacturers at an unfair disadvantage by making it cheaper for foreign products to be sold in the U.S. and costlier for U.S. exporters to ship goods abroad. Hunter is not alone. An increasing number of lawmakers worried about the expanding trade deficit and what they describe as a disappearing U.S. manufacturing sector believe U.S. tax policies are a part of the problem. According to Hunter and a number of groups representing textile producers and small manufacturers, the problem is that almost every country in the world has...

A bipartisan group of US lawmakers have introduced new legislation into the House of Representatives which aims to ensure that foreign goods entering America are subjected to the same degree of taxation imposed on US goods entering other countries. The Border Tax Equity Act would negate the estimated $379 billion disadvantage to US producers and service providers caused by foreign border-adjusted taxes, including value-added (VAT) taxes, by directing the United States Trade Representative to negotiate a remedy for the VAT inequity on goods and services within the World Trade Organization by January 1, 2009. “I strongly support fair trade, but...

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-CA) was joined by several of his colleagues in introducing the Border Tax Equity Act. The legislation, which Congressman Hunter coauthored with Representatives Bill Pascrell (D-NJ), Walter Jones (R-NC) and Michael Michaud (D-ME), ends the double taxation of U.S. exports and works toward leveling the playing field for U.S. workers and manufacturers. “Under our current trade system, U.S. exports are taxed twice: once domestically and then a second time as they arrive at their destination,” said Congressman Hunter. “Our trading partners, on the other hand, rebate taxes to their exporters, who also...

Whenever critics of globalization complain about the loss of American jobs to low-cost countries such as China and India, supporters point to the powerful performance of the U.S. economy. And with good reason. Despite the latest slow quarter, official statistics show that America's economic output has grown at a solid 3.3% annual rate since 2003, a period when imports from low-cost countries have soared. Similarly, domestic manufacturing output has expanded at a decent pace. On the face of it, offshoring doesn't seem to be having much of an effect at all. But new evidence suggests that shifting production overseas has...

Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), a 2008 candidate for President of the United States, sounds like an anti-free trade populist these days. But he's got reason. As former chairman of the House Armed Services Committee he experienced first-hand the difficulties the military is facing when it comes to arming its forces with American-made weaponry. The United States secured the freedom of the world three times during the last century -- winning World Wars I and II, and prevailing in the Cold War -- because of its "Arsenal of Democracy," he says. The U.S. industrial base was able to turn out an...

Republican presidential candidate Duncan Hunter's insistent warnings about China's military buildup have stamped him as the Paul Revere of the fast-developing 2008 campaign. China is picking America's pocket and using its ill-gotten gains to acquire ships, planes and missiles in a challenge to U.S. national interests, Hunter said. By cheating at trade, China also has been able to pirate many U.S. industries and high-paying manufacturing jobs, said Hunter, a 14-term congressman. AdvertisementSome experts say the Alpine Republican's relentless focus on Beijing's trade tactics is overwrought and ignores important economic benefits to the United States, including hundreds of billions of dollars'...

Love is a wonderful thing! Songs fill our ears that celebrate puppy love, young love and mature love. Love is celebrated every day. Yet, in our nation, we have set aside a special day for love — Valentine's Day — when millions of people show their love by giving chocolate, flowers and diamonds. These iconic tokens have enjoyed unquestioned dominance as pure symbols of love — until now. Valentine's Day means chocolate, lots and lots of chocolate. Its rich, creamy taste brings a smile to our faces. This melt-in-your-mouth, endorphin-releasing treat is a perfect way to say "I love you."...

Tuesday, December 26, 2006 Everybody knows that the loss of huge portions of their home U.S. market to imports has decimated U.S.-owned automakers Ford and GM (as well as Chrysler, which is no longer U.S.-owned, but shares many of Detroit’s biggest problems). What everybody doesn’t know is that literally dozens of U.S.-based manufacturing industries have suffered the same kinds of losses since the late 1990s. The clear bottom line, as revealed by the U.S. Business & Industry Council’s latest annual survey of domestic manufacturing’s competitiveness: The United States is a military superpower, but is steadily becoming an industrial also-ran. The...

Business Week Concedes Globalism Is A Problem by Phyllis Schlafly, December 13, 2006 Economists, academicians and financial consultants for years have been preaching that globalism is the wave of the future and that anyone who wants to survive in business must ride its surfboard or drown. All of a sudden, Business Week is having second thoughts. This voice of business now says that the United States is no longer the captain of our fate because "globalization has overwhelmed Washington's ability to control the economy." As recently as ten years ago, the United States could set its course for economic...

Background--- Because the FairTax is a single-stage consumption tax, supporters of a double and treble tax on savings, investment, and exports (our current income tax) would assert that the cost of an automobile would go up by the amount of the FairTax rate. This is not only wrong, it is dead wrong. Automobiles are the second most expensive purchase a family can make beyond a home, yet today we penalize the purchase of U.S. made automobiles. We impose taxes on labor and on capital that literally bury tax costs upstream in the production costs of the vehicle. We subsidize foreign...

It started with this post and continued on the group blog www.Constitutionclub.com that I also belong to. The entire series of posts are presented here in order of their posting for your thought and analysis. The Infidel Sage appears as 'Dave' in the following discussion. Dave: Reassessing the Growing Chinese Threat Like the Roman Empire, the American Republic is surrounded by barbarians who attack the gates in waves. For the moment it is Islamic fundamentalism, but the more serious dragon stirring in it's lair is China. In the next two decades it will emerge to challenge the world's last remaining...

Wake up and smell the Contras! Fair-trade coffee’s not just for lefties. Now the Contras are in on the action, says Mike Power Nicaraguan coffee has been a staple of any good liberal's shopping basket since the 1980s. But now misty-eyed Reaganites can get their hands on the fair-trade action as well, with Contra Coffee. Gourmet coffee grown by former Contras – the US-supported militia who tried to topple Nicaragua's socialist Sandinista government in the 1980s – is now available and offering customers a chance to "Wake up with freedom fighters!" according to company founders Tom Kilroy and Ryan Myers,...

China to cut tariff on cars, auto parts from July 1 Last Updated(Beijing Time):2006-06-15 17:29 China will further cut import taxes on some cars and auto parts as of July 1, the Ministry of Finance announced Thursday. With the approval of the Chinese government, the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council, has decided to lower the tariffs on cars, SUVs (sports utility vehicles or cross-country vehicles),and mini-buses from 28 percent to 25 percent, said the ministry. Meanwhile, the import taxes on auto parts, such as auto bodies, under-pans, medium and low emission gasoline engines, will be reduced to 10...

In his recent bestseller, "The World Is Flat," Thomas Friedman warned Americans about the challenges of an era of increased globalization and international competition. In an ever "flattening" world, many jobs can easily be outsourced to skilled, lower-cost workers in other countries. Today, American workers have to compete against workers from around the world. Friedman explained what this should mean to American students by recounting a warning he offered his daughters: "Girls, when I was growing up, my parents used to say to me, 'Tom, finish your dinner. People in China and India are starving.' My advice to you is:...

Exporting America: The list Here is a list of companies we've confirmed are "Exporting America." These are U.S. companies either sending American jobs overseas, or choosing to employ cheap overseas labor, instead of American workers. A 3Com 3M A. Schulman, Inc. Aalfs Manufacturing Aavid Thermal Technologies Abbott Laboratories ABC-NACO Accenture Access Electronics Accuride Corporation Accuride International Acme Packaging Adaptec ADC Admanco Adobe Air Adobe Systems Admanco Advanced Energy Industries Aei Acquisitions Aetna Affiliated Computer Services AFS Technologies A.G. Edwards Agere Systems Agilent Technologies A.H. Schreiber Co. AIG Air Products & ChemicalsÊ Alamo Rent A Car Albany International Corp. Albertson's Alcoa...

Summary of America's Current Economic Condition... the Editor 1. Wholesale sellout of core strategic assets to foreign acquirers: according to official figures, more than 8,000 American companies have been sold to foreign corporations in the last 10 years 2. Decline of vital industries through bankruptcy, foreign predatory competition, and foreign acquisition: examples include steel, publishing, clothing, machine tools, automobiles, electronics, and others 3. Inability to manufacture competitively: American manufacturers suffer a 22 percent structural cost disadvantage compared to overseas competitors through taxes, health and pension benefits, litigation, regulation, and rising energy prices 4. Overdependence on imports: $1 in $4 of...

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — The struggle to save unionized manufacturing jobs and continue the 140-year production of Winchester sporting arms in New Haven has attracted national and international attention as the Belgian Herstal Group prepares to close its US Repeating Arms Company (USRAC) factory doors on March 31. Workers and community activists began organizing when the January announcement was made, bringing public attention to the devastating impact the closing will have on the 180 workers, the African American community where the plant is located, and the entire city. The company has enjoyed $17 million in tax abatements which are tied...

... a growing number of roasters say the Fair Trade movement has lost its way. The movement has always aroused suspicion on the right, where free traders object to its price floors and anti-globalization rhetoric. Yet critics from the left are more vocal and more angry by half; they point to unhappy farmers, duped consumers, an entrenched Fair Trade bureaucracy, and a grassroots campaign gone corporate. Stream of Conscience ... TransFair’s stated goal is simple: to ensure that farmers get a decent price for their beans, and to let consumers know it. By cutting out predatory middlemen and selling a...

The Dubai Ports World deal is waking Americans up to a painful reality: So-called "conservatives" and "flat world" globalists have bankrupted our nation for their own bag of silver, and in the process are selling off America... The old concept was that if there was a dollar's worth of labor in a pair of shoes made in the USA, and somebody wanted to import shoes from China where there may only be ten cents worth of labor in those shoes, we'd level the playing field for labor by putting a 90-cent import tariff on each pair of shoes... Then came...

For Immediate ReleaseNovember 19, 2005 President's Radio Address      Audio     APEC Summit 2005     President's Trip to Asia      THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. I am currently traveling in Asia on a trip to Japan, South Korea, China, and Mongolia. I'm visiting with friends and allies in the region to discuss issues vital to the future of all Americans. One important issue for American workers, entrepreneurs, businesses, and farmers is to access foreign markets for our goods, services, and farm products. At the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in South Korea, we have advanced America's case for free and fair trade.  Radio Address 20052004200320022001  Radio...

In Washington, D.C., and capitals throughout the world, the positive force of market competition often becomes clouded by regional politics and short-term self-interests. Unfortunately, this nation, the beacon of free-market capitalism, has not proved to be the exception to this ominous trend of late. Despite having long fought for and won a number of trade accords to provide a fair playing field for our goods and services abroad, some U.S. leaders now seem content to selectively thwart international engagement here at home. At the same time that we ask our counterparts in Asia, Europe, the Americas and elsewhere to open...

It is hard to believe that 12-year olds could tackle the world's problems, but that is exactly what they did with the "Earth We Share" program at Cornell University this summer. Students from all over the world participated in the program, which integrates science, technology and society. Juliea Nelson, Executive Director of the Jemison Foundation for Excellence, said that students gain a more global perspective from the program. "Everything that they are researching has that sort of global effect," she said. "You want the students to see the big picture and you want them to think of a solution that...

update European regulators raided the offices of Intel and a number of PC-related companies early Tuesday as part of an antitrust investigation into the chip giant. As part of the dawn raid, European Commission officials and national competition authorities from member states descended on several Intel offices, as well as a number of IT companies that manufacture or sell computers, a Commission representative said. "These inspections are carried out within the framework of an ongoing investigation," the representative said. An Intel representative said the chipmaker is cooperating fully with investigators. "Our normal business practice is to cooperate, and we are...

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's trade surplus for June swelled five-fold from a year earlier as exports grew much faster than imports, offering more ammunition for foreign critics who argue that Beijing should let the yuan rise in value. The June surplus grew to $9.68 billion, exceeding forecasts of $8.0 billion and towering above the $1.8 billion surplus recorded for June 2004.

LONDON, May 31 - Europe's highest court said Tuesday that it had no jurisdiction in a case involving the practice of buying drugs in low-priced countries within the European Union and diverting them to nations that set higher prices. The decision was a setback for drug companies, which were hoping for a ruling against the practice. The rerouting undercuts the profits of drug makers, while enriching wholesalers. Supporters of the practice say consumers pay less for medicine. The European Court of Justice said Tuesday that it could not rule on a case referred by the Greek competition commission on a...

KEYSVILLE, Va. - Three years ago, Steven Bailey's tobacco company in rural southern Virginia was growing so fast he could have counted on early retirement. Now, he's fighting for every sale. On July 1, a new Virginia law will force S&M Brands Inc. to raise prices on its Bailey's and Tahoe cigarettes. That's on top of a $2-per-carton increase last year, after other states passed similar laws at the urging of large tobacco companies. "You're kind of fighting the world," said Bailey, S&M's president, whose family has been in the tobacco business for more than a century. Many people would...

If you were looking forward to ordering some wine directly from your favorite out-of-state vineyard, courtesy of last week's Supreme Court ruling, you might want to check in first with your state capital. The liquor cartels that just lost their sinecure as distribution middlemen are trying their best to undercut the High Court's intentions. Take New York, whose law banning shipments by out-of-state vineyards to in-state wine lovers was overturned. Governor George Pataki unveiled a bill this week that would limit the amount of wine that any vineyard could ship to any consumer to two cases a month. He says...

Statement for US-China Commission Hearing May 19-20, 2005 Paul Craig Roberts Offshore outsourcing is misunderstood by economists and policymakers. The phenomenon is misperceived as an extension of the mutual benefits of comparative advantage-based trade. Comparative advantage has two necessary conditions, neither of which is met today. One condition is that capital is immobile internationally relative to traded goods. The other is that the trading countries have different opportunity costs of producing the traded goods. (The economic concept of opportunity cost is an in-kind measure; for example, the quantity of wine that is not produced in order to make a yard...

NEW YORK - The Bush administration has put China on notice that it expects a revaluation of the yuan within six months. In its biannual report to Congress on exchange rates and trade, the U.S. Treasury said China will be at risk of being accused of unfairly manipulating its exchange rate if it doesn't act swiftly to abandon its fixed exchange rate against the dollar. For the past ten years, the yuan has been pegged to trade in a narrow band around $8.28. Beijing has repeatedly said it will widen the band, making the yuan more flexible in time, but...

Politicians are always looking for a new goose to pluck to win the political favor of their constituents. Today everyone from congressmen to city councilmen treat the drugmakers like a flock of geese. At least Congress has national jurisdiction. Not so the Washington, D.C. city council. But its members apparently believe that they, too, should regulate the pharmaceutical industry. The city council has given preliminary approval to legislation that would create a new "illegal trade practice" -- selling drugs for more than city politicians decide is fair. The bill would allow Washington, D.C. to seize the companies' patent rights in...

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. antitrust regulators are preparing to sue the National Association of Realtors (NAR) over policies they believe will illegally restrict commission discounting and harm online competitors, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday. The effort by the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission aims to protect buyers and sellers of homes and could help contain high real-estate costs in a booming housing market, the newspaper said.

HIT THE BRAKES BEFORE PASSING GO Last week The Washington Post published an article, "Maryland Hits Brakes on Fleeting Gasoline Price War", which focused on the competitive rights of retail filling stations to lower prices. One station cut prices and others obviously followed. Government sirens roared. How often do you read about "lowest prices guaranteed"? Sears will not only match any price but ad a percentage of the difference. My online cigar store does the same. I read similar offers every day from businesses of every kind. "Maryland regulators quickly stepped in and told the stations that their prices were...

Friday 8th April, 2005 China to face U.S. tariffs unless it devalues currency Big News Network.com Friday 8th April, 2005 Anger over the ballooning trade deficit with China appears to be pushing the U.S. Senate toward passage of an overtly protective tariff. An apparently increasing number of senators, significantly including Republicans, now see Beijing's suppression of its currency's value as a strategic obstacle to curbing a trade deficit that reached $8.43 billion in the first quarter, the Financial Times said Friday. Senators will vote no later than July on legislation that would give China six months to revalue its renminbi...

Fair trade special - It's unfair when poor countries can't sell their goods here. It's also unfair that, when they do, low prices depend on sweated labour. Martin Vander Weyer tackles the confusing moral issues Free and fair are words that often go together, like spick and span or Marks & Spencer. Free and fair elections, for example, are events devoutly to be wished for everywhere from Baghdad to your local town hall. But what of free trade and fair trade? Do they go hand in hand, or is one the enemy of the other? The loose alliance of anti-globalisation...