Economists are Making a Grave Mistake (Downsides of the Law of Comparative Advantage)

Gone with the Wind blog ^ | unknown | Gone with the Wind blog

[John Filson]

Some interesting thoughts from someone who refuses to drink the free trade Koolaid.

[John Filson]

comparative advantage ping

[JLS]

Some interesting thoughts from someone who refuses to drink the free trade Koolaid.
_______________________________________________________

Hmmm:

1. I hope he and you are really good a making shoes.

2. And certainly you would expect broad support on a site named FREE Republic for the concept that the government can tell you who you may or may not purchase a product from. Are you similarly in favor of restricted trade in medical services and the government telling you who is your MD ala Hillary?

[bikepacker67]

I think a site named FREE Republic would be VERY INTERESTED in making sure we are not dangerously dependent upon other nations for our technology.

Maybe you just forgot the "Republic" part, eh?

[Honestfreedom]

Yeah like the protectionist, statist, Socialist koolaid is better.

[John Filson]

Science and Engineering enrollments are down drastically.

When all of our chips are made offshore, how will we guide missiles during a world war? When all programming is done by people in third world countries, which of our children will remain interested in science and engineering careers?

Specialization to the point that critical skills are forgotten could spell our demise. Aren't you worried at all about that?

We all should be.

[John Filson]

Defending our technological and scientific independence is anything but statist. If you think we can continue on our present course without losing scientific superiority, you're dreaming. If we lose scientific superiority, we'll lose the next world war.

The question is how, not if we should take action. Don't forget that the firms you're defending as "free market" are multinational. Based on public equity statistics indicating foreign dominance of shared owned, these companies are now mostly owned by people who could care less about the American dream. You can't expect them to protect our national interests. When public equity was owned by Americans, it was an entirely different story.

Much has changed just in the past 10 years, and the old free market paradimgs are collapsing. We need a free American market again.

[KC_for_Freedom]

Even now, to a displaced programmer such as Sue, it is a lot like being eighteen-years-old all over again, except this time there are less options, and if one has a family, more responsibilities. So much for "family values".

Just to pick on this line, no one ever told Sue that she could pursue programming and be a programmer for the rest of her life. Maybe if she was the best programmer anyone ever saw, but even then technology keeps moving and Sue will have to keep up.

The world will change and change. Anyone who expects the government to stop it is building a dam of sand to stop the incoming tide.

As to family values? The government is supposed to be our family? As in "It Takes a Village"?

[John Filson]

Who says the government has to be the force that confronts our loss of scientific and engineering advantage? We have bled ourselves. It's time to stop the bleeding by choice.

[JLS]

I think a site named FREE Republic would be VERY INTERESTED in making sure we are not dangerously dependent upon other nations for our technology.

I think the "Free" in FreeRepublic is short for FREEDOM as in I have the right to trade with whomever I want. I have the right to be Free of the government telling me who I must buy from. You might be confusing FreeRepublic with IndependentRepublic which is a Ludite website you might find to your taste. Free means free not the majority can tell me who I must purchase from.

Maybe you just forgot the "Republic" part, eh?

So you not only favor Hillary care, but gun control? I think the Free was put first in the name because many if not most here want to be free in this republic. The founders wanted it that way too which is why they limited government which is what a FreeRepublic would be.

[Libertarianize the GOP]

A country can manipulate the market so as to advantage a privileged class within its society. The real question is whether a country can manipulate the market in a fashion that has a net positive benefit for its whole society.

[John Filson]

You're insisting on freedom without responsibility. You're also insisting that offshore owners of business equity are free from obligation to their host economy. These two positions are demonstrably misaligned with defending the republic. Do you really believe you have a right to destroy our republic in favor of irresponsibly free trade?

[Porterville]

I got pissed when they came out with the cotton gin. No more pickin' seeds- what am I going to do?

[Porterville]

"We are becoming a nation of owners, managers, and marketers that no longer know how to work the front lines"

This is true- I have no idea how to glue or stitch soles on the bottom of a shoe.

[John Filson]

Are you happy about the decline in hard sciences and medical enrollments in our universities? Do you recognize that this decline has come in large part because of outsourcing, offshoring, temporary visas, and other "free trade" policies? It's not about who makes your shoes. It's about who designs them and why.

[Porterville]

You are right; the government should determine what people study, where they should work, what they can buy, and how much of it.....

[John Filson]

You're saying that only government control can alter career choices, pay scales, and buying habits. That's a false dichotomy.

What are you going to do about offshore ownership of American business? Can you justify globalism that puts America up for sale to the highest foreign bidder?

[bikepacker67]

Look bud....

The founding fathers planned on the Federal Gov't to be funded, mainly, via tariffs.

So don't try to portray your "Free Traitor" bunk as an American Ideal.

[A. Pole]

The economic concept of "comparative advantage" is the holy dogma of "free trade", economic globalization, and offshore outsourcing of jobs. Although comparative advantage is generally true for what economists traditionally measure, economists have ignored some important counter-factors. It indeed does optimize economic output under ideal conditions. However, there are important factors which make the situation less than ideal:

Do not miss it!

[JLS]

How in the world is free exchange destroying our republic? Our republic was built on free exchange. If it is being destroyed it is by people like you and Hillary who want to tell us who we can purchase from.