[unseen]

"that people who engage in trade do so at their own peril - because you very wise people know that trading with someone else, voluntarily, has got to make one worse off than before"


Seriously what weed are you smoking because I want some. No one ever said trade was bad. We said that free trade as practiced by this government is bad for America. What is hard to grasp on this subject


"There may be a cause and effect issue but you'll be hard pressed at this point to tell me that trade 'deficits' hurt the annual GDP."

The very nature of the GDP equation states empirical that trade deficits are a negative when figuring up GDP. This is a simple addtion and subtraction equation a 3rd grader could do it. Why are you having such trouble with it?

[LowCountryJoe]

No one ever said trade was bad. We said that free trade as practiced by this government is bad for America. What is hard to grasp on this subject.

Our government rarely trades with others. Individuals and businesses trade with one another...same principles apply, do they not?

The very nature of the GDP equation states empirical that trade deficits are a negative when figuring up GDP. This is a simple addtion and subtraction equation a 3rd grader could do it. Why are you having such trouble with it?

Yes, when calculating GDP, a negative NX number does subtract from GDP but only initially. A negative NX in one year will almost always lead to increases in I and C that will more than offset the so-called drag that the negative NX number created. Why am I having to explain this for the forth time now to my 'fellow (and junior) elementary school' student? If you doubt this, than look at the data as the NX inches closer to being balanced or was a positive number.

[Toddsterpatriot]

The very nature of the GDP equation states empirical that trade deficits are a negative when figuring up GDP. This is a simple addtion and subtraction equation a 3rd grader could do it.

What do the furriners do with the dollars they earn? GDP = Consumption + Domestic Investment + Governmental Spending + Net Exports. Do foreigners add to our domestic investment? Does their purchase of Treasury debt allow higher government spending? Do the lower interest rates caused by foreign investments allow higher consumption?