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Bush strikes back at critics of outsourcing
The Financial Times ^ | 9. March 2004 | Edward Alden

Posted on 03/10/2004 4:43:33 AM PST by 1rudeboy

President George W. Bush hit back at Democratic critics of his administration's job-creation efforts on Tuesday, branding them as "economic isolationists" who would raise new trade barriers and damage the US economy.

The comments came as part of what appeared to be a co-ordinated administration effort to respond to growing political pressures over the slow pace of US job growth, which has helped push Mr Bush's likely Democratic opponent, John Kerry, ahead of the president in several recent polls.

In a speech in Virginia, Mr Bush said: "There are economic isolationists in our country who believe we should separate ourselves from the rest of the world by raising up barriers and closing off markets. They're wrong. If we are to continue growing this economy and creating new jobs, America must remain confident and strong about our ability to trade in the world."

Robert Zoellick, the US trade representative, similarly warned Congress on Tuesday that "given the fact we're now in a stage of an economic recovery, the absolutely worst thing we could do would be to turn to economic isolationism".

Mr Zoellick told the Senate finance committee that increasing US exports to countries such as China and India, encouraging foreign investment in the US, and helping workers adjust to the loss of some jobs abroad were better responses than "bureaucratic interventions that will increase prices to our people".

Mr Bush's comments came less than a week after the Senate passed legislation aimed at preventing US government contracts from being carried out by workers in developing countries.

The administration has been uncertain over how to respond to the continued slow pace of job creation. Mr Bush has sought to distance himself from recent remarks by a senior economic adviser, Gregory Mankiw, that outsourcing of jobs is just a part of trade and therefore good for the US economy. But the administration now appears set to mount a more robust defence of companies that move US jobs abroad.

"US companies with foreign affiliates now account for about 58 per cent of our exports," said Mr Zoellick. "So the companies that do business overseas are also exporting overseas."

"I think the challenge is: How do you help people in a way that doesn't hurt or kill other jobs?" he said, pointing out that the US currently runs a $60bn annual trade surplus in the service sector, which has seen a growing number of jobs moved to lower-wage countries.



TOPICS: Business/Economy; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: bush43; busk; immigrantlist; mobythread; offshoring; outsourcing; trade
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To: 1rudeboy
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.

41 posted on 03/10/2004 5:33:36 AM PST by Baseballguy
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To: SolutionsOnly
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.

42 posted on 03/10/2004 5:33:42 AM PST by Texas_Dawg ("Hey, John Kerry, why the long face?")
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To: 1rudeboy
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?

43 posted on 03/10/2004 5:34:19 AM PST by WhiteyAppleseed (The hell with the cheese, let's get out of this trap.--a mouse)
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To: Baseballguy
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

44 posted on 03/10/2004 5:34:32 AM PST by Texas_Dawg ("Hey, John Kerry, why the long face?")
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To: 1rudeboy
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.
45 posted on 03/10/2004 5:35:12 AM PST by westerfield
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To: WilliamofCarmichael
"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?

46 posted on 03/10/2004 5:35:20 AM PST by 1rudeboy
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To: BikePacker
WSait five years at this rate and find out.
47 posted on 03/10/2004 5:35:24 AM PST by TXBSAFH (KILL-9 needs no justification.)
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Comment #48 Removed by Moderator

To: 1rudeboy
"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)

49 posted on 03/10/2004 5:37:26 AM PST by BikePacker
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To: Semper Paratus; goldstategop; 1rudeboy

Bureau of Labor statistics:

January 2001 Employment - 136.0 million

January 2004 Employment - 138.566 million

50 posted on 03/10/2004 5:38:11 AM PST by Luis Gonzalez (Unless the world is made safe for Democracy, Democracy won't be safe in the world.)
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To: westerfield
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.

51 posted on 03/10/2004 5:39:43 AM PST by InterceptPoint
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To: BikePacker
Kerry holds the EXACT SAME POSITION as Bush, and his voting record proves that fact.

Please.

52 posted on 03/10/2004 5:40:02 AM PST by 1rudeboy
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To: C21C
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.

53 posted on 03/10/2004 5:40:23 AM PST by Texas_Dawg ("Hey, John Kerry, why the long face?")
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To: Texas_Dawg
Why They Hate the Market
54 posted on 03/10/2004 5:40:58 AM PST by Luis Gonzalez (Unless the world is made safe for Democracy, Democracy won't be safe in the world.)
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Comment #55 Removed by Moderator

Comment #56 Removed by Moderator

To: MrB
***"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.
57 posted on 03/10/2004 5:42:40 AM PST by SolutionsOnly
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To: Luis Gonzalez
Thanks.
58 posted on 03/10/2004 5:43:22 AM PST by Texas_Dawg (FR is overflowing with Marxists.)
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To: Texas_Dawg
"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


59 posted on 03/10/2004 5:44:03 AM PST by Luis Gonzalez (Unless the world is made safe for Democracy, Democracy won't be safe in the world.)
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To: Texas_Dawg
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.

60 posted on 03/10/2004 5:44:18 AM PST by neutrino (Oderint dum metuant: Let them hate us, so long as they fear us.)
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