Posted on 11/05/2007 8:22:29 AM PST by cradle of freedom
What do you think of free trade? Is it good for the nation as a whole?
Definition please..........
By what right/power would a third party interfere in a business transaction?
Being people in no way superior to the trading participants, why don’t the first two parties just tell the third to stuff it?
On a level playing field, yes, but when the other players want to dump their goods on us at subsidized labor costs, no.............
Most of time, I don’t think the agreements are about free trade. There seems always to be conditions and subsidies.
So I guess it’s OK for someone in this country to sell nuclear technology to al Qaeda, or weaponry to Iran, by your thinking. Or drugs to grade-school children. Or....
“Free trade” with countries that produce goods via slave labor is not free trade.
You cannot have free trade agreements with communist countries or even countries that aren’t set up similarly in both political structure and financial structure.
Given those things, what we currently call free trade is not a good thing for the nation as a whole.
Why is that bad?
NAFTA? I’d have to say no.
Free trade would mean that each country is on an even footing - not placing undue hindrance on the import/export trade - thus keeping everyone on an even playing field.
If we put our US-patriate companies and our overal business interests (and in the longer view the US economy!) at a known disadvantage in the name of "free-trade"...
THEN we need to look at balancing any unfair advantages caused by meddling or surreptitious profiteering/interference by foreign governments, coalitions, or trading partners....
Just my humble....
'Nuff said...
Interesting you should post this, as I’ve been giving it quite a bit of thought.
I don’t like so many things not being made here. I don’t really understand the whole GDP issue. I do know an oil and gas person who has told me OPEC doesn’t have as much oil as they used to have.
That would be an “unfair” trade practice, where the government of another country interferes with the “free trade” with American companies having to compete, not only against the foreign companies, but their governments as well.............
As long as the transaction is conducted without subsidies, and all interests are allowed to compete, then I’m all for it. When the government steps in and starts subsidising, taxing, and restricting trade, then it’s no longer free.
Dr Williams says it’s great that you have a trade imbalance with your grocer. I say that when your grocer is planning your extermination you have a little problem.
ping
Free and FAIR trade is great!
It’s MANAGED trade we have to worry about. It bogs things down...plus, a fluctuating currency makes it harder to negotiate long-term trade agreements.
‘Fleece trade’ - Thousands and thousands of pages of government to government dealings open to lobbyists but excluding our representatives.
‘Free trade’ - An addition to ‘GOP’s 101 More Ways to Lose Elections’.
In this country, if we just sell to each other (other americans) we would price our products so that producers could pay for decent wages for workers, safe working conditions, quality assurance and fund some government regulation (like FDA, Dept of Ag) that ensures our products are safe and wholesome.
With free trade we compete with companies in other countries that do not do these things. The result is we can not compete; we lose jobs and import substandard products that are not safe or of good quality. Overall our standard of living will decline to the level of the countries with which we compete. If you disagree then convince me that it is not so.
Our society depends on products. We need food, clothing, transportation, etc. We can not all be in the service industry. Unfortunately academics and those in the service industry, who benefit from lower prices but don't lose many jobs, want you to believe we don't need to produce.
Bring back tariffs.
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