Bush's Trade Policies Seen As Protectionist, Tied To 2004 Election

Investors Business Daily ^ | 11-20-03 | Jed Graham

[RiflemanSharpe]

What we have with China and India is not free trade. They have unlimited access to our markerts, we do not have near the same open access to theirs. If we are to have free trade then no barriers on either side, but as long as they impose tariffs and restrictions then I say let us do the same. Match theirs line for line. Impose the exact same restrictions, tariffs, inspections, what have you on them. Let see how they like it.

[curlewbird]

I totally agree. I am sick to death of watching this grain market on a daily basis (I work at an grain elevator and my family farms) and watching how that country can totally manipulate us. They can tank the market, then come in and buy which makes it go up, then they say something or rumor somthing and tank it again. My concern is getting this re-election over with first. He has enough issues with Iraq and everything else to also have the farm vote mad at him. After the re-election, then lets tighten the screws - hehehe!

[1rudeboy]

Speaking of "great plans," what's yours?

[Dialup Llama]

>Now that's the American spirit. /sarc

One can reasonably talk about free trade among the 50 states of the US. But there has been and is nothing free about trade among nations.

What is being promoted now is a kind of labor arbitrage for the benefit of certain economic interests but to the detriment of others. There is nothing free in this current arrangement. It is a political and policy calculation. There can be other policies. To call what we have now free and the imposition of a textiles tariff unfree is silly.

[RiflemanSharpe]

What a lot of free traitors do not understand is that these job are the first rung on the latter to the middle class. The middle class is the consumer class, they buy the majority of the goods and services. The larger the middle class the healthier the economy is over all. My Famil itself started three generations ago on a modest farm, moved to an oil refinery job that afforded them to send their children to college, making my generation the first to be white collar instead of blue. This gradual economic progression up the ladder is the American drean in a nutshell. I will do everything I can to defend that dream and to make sure that as many as possible have a chance at it.

[Willie Green]

Your indifference to American workers in export industries is troubling.

They also are shackled by the federal government's bureaucratic and litigatory environmental and safety/health restrictions. That is why the Trade Deficit continues to expand as even our export industries are undermined. They too would benefit from implementation of a relatively low (10~15%), flate-rate "revenue tariff" placed on ALL imported goods. The proceeds from such a tariff could be used to finance further reduction of other forms of domestic taxation, benefitting ALL domestic industries, including export!!!

[Walkin Man]

It sure as hell ain't surrendering to communist China which seems to be official republican and demoRat policy!

How about this: FREE AND UNFETTERED access to Red China's, Mexico's, India's and the friggen EU's markets?

That would be the first thing!

We don't have free trade with any of these countries. We are being raped and pillaged by foreign countries with the permission of the federal government in a trade war that America is losing badly.

Of course the deck is stacked against us from jump street thanks to the free traitors who are running the show in Washington DC.

[riri]

Can you provide some info on those retraining programs?

Admittedly, I know nothing about these programs or if they even exist. I am not sure what the opportunites are and if there are any in what quantity.

I was just being sarcastic. I find it humorous that our president is trying to convince me that someone who has been content sewing together fannie packs for the last ten years is going to suddenly switch gears and enter one of the more challenging majors offered to ready for a career in science. But hey, stranger things have happened, I suppose.

[Walkin Man]

I find it humorous that our president is trying to convince me that someone who has been content sewing together fannie packs for the last ten years is going to suddenly switch gears and enter one of the more challenging majors offered to ready for a career in science.

I find it humorous as well if not downright scary to think the people running the show actually believe this kind of fantasyland HS!

[A. Pole]

The proceeds from such a tariff could be used to finance further reduction of other forms of domestic taxation, benefitting ALL domestic industries, including export!!!

And to pay for the retraining (which is reduced/eliminated by the Bush administration).

[BMiles2112]

Holy Crap!
This "free traitor" agrees with Willie Green on something. With you on the federal restrictions. As long as there WAS a concurrent reduction in all other forms of taxation that would ensure that there was no overall additional tax burden on our economy, I could support that. Ideally, I would start with a national sales tax as the primary form of revenue generation, with the flat tariff on all goods as you suggest with a fixed, permanent limit of no more than 10-15%.

[chimera]

But, he acknowledges, the policy isn't cost free. "It means there are going to be higher apparel prices," he said. ...

I don't think so. At least not significantly higher. Last time I was out shopping for clothing I checked both make and price. The foreign-made item was on the rack for $27.79, the equivalent domestic-made unit (which looked and felt better, so I bought it) was $28.99. Sure, it was a dollar or so different, but for the quality and wearability I'd pay the extra dollar. It wasn't going to break the bank.

What probably is different is how much of the sale price went into the company's bottom line. Maybe the foreign-made item cost $2 to make, while the domestic-made item cost $7. So the corporation doesn't pocket the extra $5. I'd find it hard to believe that the company would go out of business because it made $5 less profit. Sure, the shareholders might get $1 per share dividend instead of $1.01, and maybe the CEO and Vice Presidents get a $10 million bonus that year instead of $15 million, but all that means is that they only buy three yachts this year instead of four. Like I said, BFD.

[searchandrecovery]

To me, it looks like we can either:
a. promote free trade and lose millions of American jobs
or
b. enforce trade restrictions with our known commumist enemies

You be the judge.

[meenie]

It is becoming obvious that there are poplicy changes in the offing to protect the United States from losing any more jobs. The realization that we have lost enough tax base that we cannot sustain the spending that Washington has obligated us for is finally soaking in.

It is inevitable that it is going to take a genuine crisis to limit the excesses of our government and get the priorities straightened out. The corruption in our financial markets is only matched by the corruption in our political system. The trade situation is just starting to expose the cronyism and manipulation in the name of free trade.

[jpsb]

I have never thanked you for having me on your bump list. Figured it was about time to do so.

Thanks jim

[maui_hawaii]

...and China backs off on purchasing soybeans from us, he will LOSE all the farm vote.

Not exactly. Just for the soybean producers...maybe, but even for them it won't be all that clear cut.

China is extremely protectionist regarding soybeans, and have been so for a long time. If they stop buying it won't be out of the ordinary of the established pattern.

Secondly, corn and other ag products are hurt by China's trade practices.

China's undervalued currency isn't just undervalued vs the USD. I can go into detail if you want, but the jist is, Chinese subsidies undercuts US marketshare in Korea, Japan, and other areas around Asia. Those are our real markets in Asia. China is a smidgin.

Corn or any other ag commodity producers should be jumping up and down cheering and cheerleading the call for China to float its currency.

There are more reasons than that too...

If Chinese currency appreciates then soybean sales to China become just that much more profitable, as well as volume will increase. Along with everything else I might add.

Its not NEARLY that GW will lose the farm vote... but rather the opposite.

[maui_hawaii]

or any other ag commodity producers should be jumping up and down cheering and cheerleading the call for China to float its currency.

Not only that, but they should most definately be THE force behind having China's butt live up to what its mouth agreed to in joining the WTO.

[curlewbird]

I understand that and I think they would be the first in line, however, the farm economy is just finally starting to recover from about five years or poor markets (it was only a year and a half ago that beans were trading around 4.00 per bushel, now they are over 7.00) and the farmers are starting to perk up. If anything happens to totally tank that market and we lose them as a trading partner,no matter how bad they are to deal with, the farmers will blame the President. Remember, that we only have a small window of opportunity to sell our product until South America's production will be coming out of the field and then Asia can turn to them. The other thing I think we need to do is turn the heat up on Europe and get them to open up the markets to our farm commodities as well, then we won't have to rely on China. I think we need to do that FIRST, so if China does stop buying, we still have outlets for our ag commodities. Once again, we need to enforce free trade rules, but we had better do it very carefully! BTW - I lived in Hawaii with my husband when he was in the Navy! Absolutely loved it! Can't wait to come back!

[Paul Ross]

Neither Cato nor Ikenson have any credibility. And this punk has the nerve to spit on GWB.

[ninenot]

That's OK.

We import more from Europe than they buy from us, and FAR more from China than they buy here.

So let them piss into the wind and be angry. Boeing will hurt, temporarily--until the USAF lets another contract.