Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: Orbiting_Rosie's_Head
You put in tariffs. THe rest of the world puts in it's own tariffs and we have world wide isolationism. Prices get hked up, people get complacent and we lag behind in technology, industry etc. That's whats happened to every isolationist country and you can see the same in Zimbabwe now. Tariffs are not the way. You're lookign at it from a narrow perspective. You would also have supported the steel protectionism. That helped the steel workers, but hit the steel consuming industries hard. Now, your method may have some direct, visible benefits, but the indirect, invisibile benefits would hurt a lot more and the overal effect would be negative.
139 posted on 03/05/2004 12:38:44 AM PST by Cronos (W2K4!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 134 | View Replies ]


To: Cronos
You're lookign at it from a narrow perspective.

No, I am looking at it from a realistic and historic perspective. The current "free" trade/income tax economic model is a huge failure. "Propserity" is an illusion purchased with massive debt and inflation of the money supply. Measuring the greatness of a nation using the consumption rate of cheaply made goods as an indicator is a fool's errand

You would also have supported the steel protectionism. That helped the steel workers, but hit the steel consuming industries hard.

Which is exactly what happens when the "steel consuming" industries get hooked on government subsidized foreign steel and illegal dumping. Inefficient foreign steel plants get propped up, our steel consuming industry gets lazy, and our own production capacity (required for national security) gets wiped out. If I have to choose between steel consuming industries and steel producing industries, I will choose the producers.

Now, your method may have some direct, visible benefits, but the indirect, invisibile benefits would hurt a lot more and the overal effect would be negative.

Again, I have stated facts, and you make another unprovable assertion. Explain in detail (the way I just explained how our steel producing industry is getting wiped out by illegal dumping) how the overall effect is negative. If you post a comeback that ignores my detailed explanation without providing your own, I will take that as an admittance of your defeat.

144 posted on 03/05/2004 7:35:29 AM PST by Orbiting_Rosie's_Head
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 139 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson