Mega-Punditry: Never Having to Say You're Wrong or You're Sorry

AmericanEconomicAlert.org ^ | Monday, April 26, 2004 | Alan Tonelson

[Willie Green]

For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use.

We initially get a thrill here at GLOBALIZATION FOLLIES when, once in a blue moon, our critical trade and jobs issues get noticed by one of the mega-pundits – you know, those media gods who boldly and authoritatively expound on everything from Iraqi tribal politics to teen pregnancy to baseball. But, as the thrill fades, we´re invariably dismayed at the woeful ignorance they typically, and almost proudly, exhibit. Thanks to eagle-eye Washington Post reader and letter writer Owen Clyke, we´ve just been alerted to yet another depressing example.  

Clyke pointed out a fatal, college freshman-level mistake in Charles Krauthammer´s recent blast against liberal trade policy critics for allegedly abandoning their longstanding commitment to ending global poverty. Krauthammer attributed the impressive post-World War II economic progress made by South Korea and Taiwan to “capitalism and free trade.” Yet Clyke, a former U.S. Agency for International Development employee, noted that both countries have long tightly protected their domestic markets and aggressively targeted and subsidized priority industries. South Korean and Taiwanese economic policies have had about as much to do with capitalism and free trade as Soviet elections had to do with democracy.

When public figures make much less serious mistakes (remember candidate George W. Bush´s struggles with the names of certain foreign leaders?), they´re usually subjected to ridicule for months and sometimes never recover.  

When mega-pundits goof unconscionably on globalization issues, it´s a non-event, and they unfailingly live to bloviate another day. And yes, this brings up our trademark question: Doesn´t anyone edit this stuff?

(Sources: “An Ideal Goes Starving,” by Charles Krauthammer, The Washington Post, April 11, 2004;
“More Than Free Trade,” by Owen Clyke, The Washington Post, April 21, 2004)

---

Alan Tonelson is a Research Fellow at the U.S. Business & Industry Educational Foundation and the author of The Race to the Bottom: Why a Worldwide Worker Surplus and Uncontrolled Free Trade are Sinking American Living Standards (Westview Press).

[Willie Green]

Walter Williams has proven himself a superficial shill on this topic as well.

[Willie Green]

ping

[ex-snook]

Ping back. college freshman-level mistake in Charles Krauthammer´s recent blast against liberal trade policy critics for allegedly abandoning their longstanding commitment to ending global poverty. "

Didn't Krauthammer also think that The Passion of Christ would cause trouble for Jews. When he gets that right, he will be worth listening to.

[TXBSAFH]

Willie,

One interesting point on free trade. An aurgument used often by free traitors is that when these jobs go overseas we will get the goods cheaper and that is where the middle class will see a benefit. I noticed something this weekend I went to Home Depot to buy a jig saw for a project I ahve at the house. I was going to buy a Dewalt, but they are now all, or at least the half dozen of their tools I checked are made in Mexico. I asked the tool guy and he told me that recently they shut down their plant in the Mid west and moved their production to Mexico. The price (Dewalts always have been a bit costly, but they WERE the best) is the same. Now price break here. The same thing is happening with Chicago Cuttlery kithen knives. Were made in USA, now made in China. Price still the same.

And as a side note the tool guy told me he would not buy one of the new Mexican Dewalts because the quality had dropped serverly. He said the number of tools returned with defects has more then doubled since their move.

[TXBSAFH]

NOW = NO, sorry.

[ninenot]

Interesting.

DeWalt is a Black & Decker brand. They are essentially the same tools, but B&D is the "low-priced" label.

You shoulda looked at Milwaukee Electric. Not ALL of those are made in Mexico...

[TXBSAFH]

I am looking at them and porter cable. I have always had good luck with both brands.

[ninenot]

Walter Williams is an amiable shill who really bought the Libertarian line--hook, line and sinker.

His "I OWN my own body" defense of smoking is a great demonstration of why economists should not be allowed to have any influence whatsoever in policy matters which are actually important.

[Taliesan]

One interesting point on free trade. An aurgument used often by free traitors is that when these jobs go overseas we will get the goods cheaper and that is where the middle class will see a benefit. I noticed something this weekend I went to Home Depot to buy a jig saw for a project I ahve at the house. I was going to buy a Dewalt, but they are now all, or at least the half dozen of their tools I checked are made in Mexico. I asked the tool guy and he told me that recently they shut down their plant in the Mid west and moved their production to Mexico. The price (Dewalts always have been a bit costly, but they WERE the best) is the same. Now [sic] price break here.

Of course not.

[narby]

When you trade protectionist guys answer how come protectionism is great around the US borders, but isn't around state borders, then I'll listen.

[TXBSAFH]

My point is that the only thing I see that we the middle class are going to get out of free trade is a good and proper shafting.

[ninenot]

On another 'economics' thread, some yock was defending FreeTraitorism while yapping about his "20-year-old" computer keyboard. He was quite enthused about it--still working, etc., etc.

I pointed out that the kboard was made in the USA, unlike today's junk.

Somehow, he didn't have a response.

[TXBSAFH]

We are one country. Not a collection of states that is why. I for one put America first foremost and always.

[Wolfie]

Yet Clyke, a former U.S. Agency for International Development employee, noted that both countries have long tightly protected their domestic markets and aggressively targeted and subsidized priority industries.

Well, yeah. You need a Free Trade Ninny Nation on the other end (say, in the West somewhere) that does neither of those things for Free Trade to work.

[TXBSAFH]

Please read number 13 on this thread. To answer number 10. Thank you.

[narby]

We are one country. Not a collection of states that is why. I for one put America first foremost and always.

You didn't answer the question.

The question is, why is trade protectionism is good for a country, but not for a state? This is an economic question, not a question of whether you love your country.

What's unsaid here, is obviously if one entity, a state, a country, it doesn't matter, raises trade protectionism, then it might do it some temporary good. But it will harm it's neighbors now, and it will harm itself in the long run.

People figured this out decades ago, and I'm amazed that folks around here bring this hokum back up. The economy is doing fine, and there's no reason to think it won't continue.

For the people who get all hung up on "manufacturing" (there's a real 19th century concept for you), then look at a smaller example, New York. They don't manufactur much stuff in NY. But they're far from poor. I see that example as how we will end up here in the US. Not manufacuring much, but doing just fine because we've found all sorts of other things of value to add to the worlds economy.

[TXBSAFH]

Simple, A country is ONE entity. We are not a collection of states but are one country. Protection the middle class in Texas is good for the middle class in Alaska.

[Taliesan]

My point is that if you think the "lower prices effect" of outsourcing is going to show up in individual companies' products shortly after they outsource then you don't understand economics.

[TXBSAFH]

The prices are not dropping but the wages and quality are. Out sourcing is hurting us all.

[narby]

Simple, A country is ONE entity. We are not a collection of states but are one country. Protection the middle class in Texas is good for the middle class in Alaska.

So, protection of the middle class in Canada is also good for the middle class in Oklahoma? What does the political system have to do with econonomics?

This isn't really an economics argument. It's a nationalistic argument, that's rationalized by economics jargon that few people really understand.

I'm as patriotic and gung ho red-white-and-blue as the next freeper. But I'm for REAL economic prosperity, as measured over the long haul. Trade protectionism is a knee jerk response to a non-existent problem. The economy is good, I think it will stay good.

I do worry about my IT job, but not because I think someone in Bangalore is going to take it away. I worry because I'm old and fat and grey haired, and I earn more money than wet-behind-the-ears college grads. If someone takes my ability to work away, it will be a smart young American.