Bush strikes back at critics of outsourcing

The Financial Times ^ | 9. March 2004 | Edward Alden

[Baseballguy]

Those that cry that outsourcing is bad want a Socialist country. They believe the Government is responsible for thier jobs.

They think if there is a socialist country everyone will be happy. The government should never be in the job creation or retention position. The Fair Tax is the only true way to compete.

[Texas_Dawg]

There are trade barriers and subsidies erected by other countries that play a significant role in our trade deficits. These barriers contradict the notion of 'free'.

Maybe not free on their end, but free on ours. And that's all that matters. As long as our markets are free, we will continue to greatly outpace them economically as we have for decades.

[WhiteyAppleseed]

Being self-employed, it isn't difficult for me to understand why companies would move elsewhere--for the same reason many of our great- or great-great-grandparents came to this country--to get out from under the overbearing thumb of government.

Subsidies to the sugar people forced companies into Canada from this country.

Wealth is being destroyed in this country by the regulatory juggernaut of bureaucratic government. Take drug manufacturers as an example: How many dollars do they spend on research to meet a market demand only to have to jump the hurdles of the FDA? When and if they come up with a product, how many years does it take for FDA approval? When the FDA announces, as if they are to be thanked, "this new drug will save 15,000 lives this year," why doesn't anyone ask: "Does that mean you killed 45,000 people over the last three years before you would give it your stamp of approval?

I'm a sole proprietor. Based on the strangle-hold the State has on me--in fact, I'm being forced to take a business law course so I can continue working as my father before me--along with the other regulations I must comply with--I say one would have to be out of his mind to gointo business in this country.

Or are we all going to suggest that our regulatory government is non-existent?

[Texas_Dawg]

Those that cry that outsourcing is bad want a Socialist country.

Yep. "Underlying every argument against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself." -- Milton Friedman

[westerfield]

I'm thinking more about the independent voters that Bush needs to win over...you know, the Ross Perot people who never cared for NAFTA in the first place? He had better re--think his stategy and emphasize something else, arguing in favor of outsourcing would be a very risky tactic.

[1rudeboy]

"Free" trade supporters offer little more than a kind of "It's for the children" feeeeeeeeling as the benefit of "free" trade.

Patently ridiculous. Who would you say is taking the "emotional" stand on this thread?

[TXBSAFH]

WSait five years at this rate and find out.

[BikePacker]

"No one on this thread supports Kerry, some simply support his rhetoric."

Well... then that's just Bush's fault - plain and simple.

Kerry holds the EXACT SAME POSITION as Bush, and his voting record proves that fact. Bush/Rove should be outing him as a liar (and actually USING that word)

[Luis Gonzalez]

Bureau of Labor statistics:

January 2001 Employment - 136.0 million

January 2004 Employment - 138.566 million

[InterceptPoint]

I don't think that you understand how the typical Walmart employee thinks..

Perhaps.

But Walmart is a powerful organization and when they feel threatened they will respond. Look at the current string of ads that they are running to improve their image. A company that will spend that kind of money on image will not fail to educate their employees and their customers on which side of the bread the butter lies. IOW, that cheap stuff imported from China is the life blood of the organization and you had better not let anyone fool with it if you want to keep your job or keep buying the goods at Walmart that you couldn't otherwise afford.

People aren't stupid. Well at least most of them aren't. Well, I just hope that at least 51% of them aren't.

[1rudeboy]

Kerry holds the EXACT SAME POSITION as Bush, and his voting record proves that fact.

Please.

[Texas_Dawg]

He has already done just that. Thanks to him we will have a "Palestinian" type insurrection in the southwest. Taxes going through the roof on the local and state level as well as the federal if you hit the AMT. All the high paying tech jobs turning into low paying tech jobs,going to Indians either in India or here through H1B visas. George Bush is helping to elect a real communist in this country.

We're all doomed. Hilarious.

[Luis Gonzalez]

Why They Hate the Market

[SolutionsOnly]

***"The problem here is that I don't see what this newer, more (skillwise) demanding industry is at this time."***

Precisely - I see nothing of the horizon that will create all these predicted new jobs. There is no new 'new' thing. What I fear is that by playing on emotions, politicians will take the country further down the higher taxes socialist road as the unemployed/low wage/unskilled worker underclass swells and the ranks of skilled workers shrinks.

I do not subscribe to the blind faith belief that the economy will grow a sufficient number of jobs. The planets don't seem properly aligned, so to speak. I'd welcome any EVIDENCE that proves me wrong. Up until this point all I've heard is theory. We can learn from the past, but the past is NOT the future. Conditions have changed.

[Texas_Dawg]

Thanks.

[Luis Gonzalez]

"What is prudence in the conduct of every private family can scarce be folly in that of a great kingdom. If a foreign country can supply us with a commodity cheaper than we ourselves can make it, better buy it of them with some part of the produce of our own industry employed in a way in which we have some advantage." -- Adam Smith

[neutrino]

No it won't

Well, Tex, perhaps we should add each other to our "I told you so" list.

Though, in truth, I hope that you turn out to be correct.