[PugetSoundSoldier]

So you're saying deficits are okay?

No, I am not. I am saying that:

Trade deficits are not an issue;
Budget deficits are a problem.

The two are wholly separate items, and one does not cause the other. Remember, you have a massive trade deficit with your grocer, your gas station, your clothing store.

Trade deficits or surpluses are a measure of the economic trade activity of private business; it's NOT a measure of the income of the Country! In fact, our GDP has grown right along with our trade deficits.

All a trade deficit means is that we generate enough revenue internally that we can consume even more than we export; it says NOTHING about the total revenue and wealth generation going on.

Budget deficits are a measure of your checkbook account; that is a serious concern.

[investigateworld]

You are both mixing apples and oranges. The point you are both choosing to ignore, is that these deficients, both in .gov and in trade policies are biting us in the rear.

Thanks to Wal-mart and other shortsighted business types, China is now building a blue water Navy and is in a position to start dictating internal policies for this nation.

Seriously, there is no free lunch.