America's New Jingoes

Opinion Journal ^ | 10/10/2004 | GEORGE GILDER

[coffee260]

Once-prestigious economists such as Paul Samuelson and once-responsible analysts such as Paul Krugman and once-sensible financial pundits such as Lou Dobbs are adducing twisted new theories of how free trade is no longer a win-win proposition.

[coffee260]

I just wonder how the economy is really effecting people. Is a 5.4% unemployment real or is there millions in poverty.

[cardinal4]

Why dont you go back to DU and ask them?

[The Old Hoosier]

You can barely step over all the unemployed, hopeless masses lying in the streets of this country. Everywhere I go, it's "Will work for food," "Can I have a quarter for my last meal," etc etc.

The nation is in dire, dire need, millions are starving, millions more are malnourished, dead bodies are cleaned off the streets of America's largest cities every day. Soon Africans will be sending us relief packages.

You doubt me? Oh, I know it's true. I read about all of this last week on Free Republic, and they explained to me that it was free trade's fault.

[Jagman]

Well, if there "is" millions in poverty, they are probably the ones who don't write good.

[Henchman]

Just remember, "The Democratic Party is the Party of the Poor." THEREFOR THEY HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN KEEPING PEOPLE POOR! ... and if there aren't enough poor to keep their programs going and people dependent upon the Government, then they will let more poor in - legally or illegally! They wanted to make PR a State so we could dump money into the Caribbean.

[The Old Hoosier]

He's not a troll.

[EagleUSA]

As we know, the unemployment rate is very good. The economy is also good, and what is most impressive, is how it stood up under the Clinton recession, the horrible impact of 9/11 and a slow recession recovery...God knows what would have happened if Gore had been President...he would have been RAISING TAXES in a recession driving it deeper down toward depression.

The topic of free world economy is a very complex one. It is a problem for the U.S. when many nations are HIGHLY PROTECTIONIST with their economies and still can use the U.S. as a "dumping ground" for their goods and services. The problem I have seen is that the U.S. is too much of a "good guy" in this picture, meaning that we are not strong enough in demanding PARITY IN TRADE. FIRMLY SO.

I think we will eventually see more of that, which is a fair game. Parity is a great negotiating position in world trade. We should use it more. I feel it would greatly improve out trade deficit situation yet still provide for significant bilateral trading. We do need to protect our economy and markets to a reasonable degree.

[Enterprise]

My question has been that if we have lost so many jobs, why is the uemployment rate at historic lows?

[KevinDavis]

That is why I'm voting for John Kerry. Cause John Kerry has a plan. Do I know the details of his plan.. I don't know..

[general_re]

"Soylent Green is people! People!!!!"

[Richard Axtell]

5.4% of 160 Million is ...8,640,000. That is millions, and that is less than the average unemployment during the Clinton "Boom Bubble" years.

[FITZ]

Welfare programs. How much government spending is being done on Food stamps, Medicaid, CHIPS, subsidized housing, college financial aid, Head Start, grant money for free breakfast and lunch programs, NAFTA-TAA, TANF, SSDI and so on and so on?

[The Old Hoosier]

That is why I'm voting for John Kerry. Cause John Kerry has a plan. Do I know the details of his plan.. I don't know..

I don't know what Kerry's plan is either, I tried to access his website like he said, but then they came and repoed my computer because I've been laid off and I'm under crushing debt from my prescription drugs. I never got to look. And that's all Bush's fault, of course.

[Henchman]

Unemployment is at or below the level it was when Clinton took office THE SECOND TIME! Clinton took credit for Reagan's economy; the Fed Chairman admitted he should have raised interest rates before he did under Clinton(Greenspan wanted GORE in office that's why); just as Greeny failed to lower interest in order to keep Poppa Bush out.)

The "surplus"? Well the Dems were all set to spend that, no sense in cutting taxes when they could dictate where the money was to go (through their friends of course.) BTW there are 4 States without an INCOME TAX. Three of those states still have a surplus - perhaps the 4 Hurricanes will cut that to two states - but it is still better than all the TAX 'EM states the Dems love.

[Long ago Freeper]

Better off than I was 4 years ago myself. As for why the economy went so bad? The 90's. Idiots investing without thought, companies coming up out of no where, hiring people at overly high salaries, etc - it was all bound to fail. And when it did? There goes the jobs.

It's not all that simple of course, there is plenty of blame to go around - from poorly run companies, to poor investments, to fraud, government, etc. If we focus on one person and blame them are we really trying to solve the problems or push an agenda?

We can't scapegoat clinton, bush, or presidents for everything. Economies go up and down all the time - trying to pin it on bush near an election is not honestly and attempt to help solve the problem at all. And that, in the long run, will hurt more people.

You keep pushing the politics, meanwhile myself and others will see that we are empowered to make things better ourselves. I don't need a leader, I need someone to get out of the way of progress and get their fingers out of the markets.

[No Longer Free State]

I just wonder how the economy is really effecting people. Is a 5.4% unemployment real or is there millions in poverty.

Have you seen a single story in any national media outlet where actual unemployed folks are interviewed? Have you seen pictures (print or broadcast) of long lines at the unemployment office seeking jobs? Don't you think there would be if there really was a huge unemployment problem in this country? Would the MSM be able to resist the urge to publish such a story widely?

The fact that you haven't seen even a minor story blown out of proportion by the MSM ought to tell you something. There's no 'there' there.

[Admin Moderator]

To prevent duplicates, please do not alter the heading. Thanks.

[ScaniaBoy]

The protectionist policies of some countries are a problem for the balance of the world economy but I think the fact that two of the three large economies, Japan and EU, are making their citizens poorer is the real culprit.

Both Japanese and Europeans have been suffering under heavy taxes and regulations that make it more or less impossible to earn money and keep it. No wonder that they won't buy US goods - they can't buy anything.

If the US hadn't run such a trade deficit it is quite possible that we would have ended up in a 30s depression.

What it means is that the European and Japanese governments are subsidizing the US consumers at the same time as they are punishing their own people.

[lucysmom]

My question has been that if we have lost so many jobs, why is the uemployment rate at historic lows?

The unemployment rate is not at historic lows. In 2000 unemployment was 4%. Don't believe it, check it out for yourself.

http://stats.bls.gov/cps/prev_yrs.htm

[Poincare]

....if we have lost so many jobs, why is the uemployment rate at historic lows?

The Dims/MSM say the unemployed workers run out of benefits and are dropped from the rolls. It would take some work to disprove that. Easier it is to look at all the Help Wanted ads in newspapers and see what the employment agencies are saying. There are lots of good jobs available and employers are advertizing for workers, at least here in CA.