[Erik Latranyi]

But the biggest obstacle to the ownership society is the steady stripping from Americans of the resources needed to buy control over their lives. And one of the biggest forces behind this worsening incapacity is a trade policy designed to plunge Americans into competition with much lower-paid third world workers, and drive down domestic wages and salaries in the process.

If we do not compete with these lower-paid third world workers now, when will we? When they are so strong and our industries so weak (from complacency) that we get rolled over?

The biggest problem I have with the above is that they offer no real alternative. Protectionism will result in our economic demise as surely as a withdrawl from the arena of foreign policy.

Compare economic competition to military preparedness. If your troops have the most sophisticated, specialized weapons in the world but have never trained on how to handle guerilla tactics, you will repeat VietNam.

That is why we must compete with low-cost workers worldwide---keep our industries sharp and innovative so our economy stays strong.

[A. Pole]

If we do not compete with these lower-paid third world workers now, when will we? When they are so strong and our industries so weak (from complacency) that we get rolled over?

What "we"? Are you talking about American workers who are to lower their wage expectations and standard of living to match the Third World levels?

[RFT1]

The problem with this is the bulk of the American working class wont stand for this over a period of time. Sooner or later, as long as these trends persist, the rank and file in the US will vote in polictians that will vow to protect them, and not only this means trad barriers, but a social democracy cradle to grave programs such as socialised health care. Like it or not, the period between 45 and the 70s is what Americans will allways compare their financial situation to.

[ARCADIA]

That is why we must compete with low-cost workers worldwide---keep our industries sharp and innovative so our economy stays strong.

Strong industries are built on creativity and innovation. It takes stable and long product life cycles to garner the necessary investment in time and capital. Cheap production only serves to creates a stagnant deposible economy. The money squandered moving assembly lines around the planet could have been used to develop tremendous and highly competitive product developments.

[Clintonfatigued]

Instead of low-cost workers, why can't we have low-cost executives?

[FITZ]

keep our industries sharp and innovative

Cheap employees don't make an industry sharp --- and another thing is they don't make the product especially cheap. In the 70's it was possible to buy a new car made with all well-paid American labor for $3000 to $6000. Today with all that $0.25 to $0.50 an hour foreign labor a car can cost over $30,000 --- labor costs drastically fell but the cost of the product to the consumer radically rose.

[iconoclast]

That is why we must compete with low-cost workers worldwide---keep our industries sharp and innovative so our economy stays strong.

Birds fly over the rainbow, way up high. Birds fly over the rainbow, why then, oh why can't I?