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Buy America, weaken America
usnews ^ | 3/25/06 | Richard J. Newman

Posted on 03/25/2006 8:07:17 PM PST by ncountylee

The Durabrand 10-inch portable DVD player available at Wal-Mart retails for $199.94. A group of senators would like to raise the price to $254.67. The Creative Zen Nano Plus 512-megabyte MP3 player seems like a bargain at $89.72; less so at $114.39, the price the senators would prefer that you pay. The price hikes would be the result of a 27.5 percent tariff on goods imported from China, a proposal sponsored by Democrat Chuck Schumer of New York and Republican Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and is scheduled to come up for a vote in the Senate this week.

Schumer and Graham aren't crazy, of course—they know better than most that taking money out of voters' pockets is a sure way to be sent packing. In other words, that 27.5 percent price hike won't be coming to a retailer near you anytime soon. But as an attention-getter, it's pretty good, and attention is what the two senators, and a number of colleagues who support them, are after. The chief bogeyman they want to flog is China's communist government, which—according to Schumer and the rest—deliberately keeps its currency undervalued in order to sell more cheap imports to the United States and other countries. Reasonable economists differ on that question. The tariff, if you buy the argument, would bring prices on Chinese imports closer to their unsubsidized value, leveling the playing field for honest tradespeople in, say, New York and South Carolina, who can't possibly produce goods as cheaply as the Chinese and still earn enough wages to buy all the DVD and MP players that they need.

(Excerpt) Read more at usnews.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 109th; china; economics; globalization; trade
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To: RipSawyer
I was answering questions in my post. I am older than you but we did well in the 40's. If a TV doesn't exist you don't miss it. If they aren't making any cars you can't buy one. If you or some of he family owned a farm you did not go hungry and you did what was known at the time. I knew many people that were very poor but did not suffer to the extreme. it seems to me things have gotten progressively better as we go along but people are trained to be more dissatisfied. The poor today would have seem rich to most in the 40,s. We had less than 139 million population then and today we have more than double. Than in itself is a big change. I saw marked change starting at about 1948 and it has only gotten better in material goods. I have never been unhappy in any era nor have I ever considered the economy to be anyones fault. Its a joint effort. I am just happy to be here.
301 posted on 03/26/2006 8:16:10 PM PST by jec41 (Screaming Eagle)
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To: Rate_Determining_Step
All of which is completely orthogonal to your original objection to tariffs.

As for China - if you don't perceive the Dragon flexing his muscles and licking his chops, you have not been reading the news.

302 posted on 03/26/2006 8:22:07 PM PST by neutrino (Globalization is the economic treason that dare not speak its name.(173))
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To: grey_whiskers
P.S. In the meantime... Where or from whom would you recommened someone learn from? Not everyone was blessed with the advantages and good examples in your family?

It seems that people today are being taught to be more dependent not less. I don't have the answer to your question but everyone should do his part. Its hard to teach people that their security is the knowledge between their ears and not in a government or job. It has to be taught young or learned by experience. If the government or job fails (and they all do in time) they will learn or be left behind.

303 posted on 03/26/2006 8:52:14 PM PST by jec41 (Screaming Eagle)
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To: neutrino

> All of which is completely orthogonal to your original objection to tariffs.

Please cite. My arguments against tariffs have been practical arguments grounded in morality.

Perhaps yours have been too? "From each according to his ability..."


304 posted on 03/26/2006 9:49:15 PM PST by Rate_Determining_Step (US Military - Draining the Swamp of Terrorism since 2001!)
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To: RipSawyer
By the time I was a teenager I was doing things that would have the child protection agencies in an uproar now and I am glad I did all those things, they taught me to be self-reliant.

Amen to that...
305 posted on 03/26/2006 10:54:06 PM PST by Number57
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To: RipSawyer
My younger brother said to me recently,"you know, luxuries are getting cheaper all the time but necessities are going sky high". "Thanks, I have been saying that same thing for twenty years", was my reply.

Man, if that doesn't sound like a line out of Tobacco Road or Grapes of Wrath...
306 posted on 03/26/2006 10:58:34 PM PST by Number57
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To: ncountylee

I'm for the tariffs. I want Americans to have a chance to live a good life with manufacturing jobs. Americans with good jobs can buy things and contribute to our economy. Americans with lousy jobs only buy essentials.


307 posted on 03/26/2006 11:08:37 PM PST by mysterio
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To: ncountylee

China has tilted the playing field with the manipulation of their currency. I tarrif would tilt it back.


308 posted on 03/26/2006 11:11:41 PM PST by truemiester (If the U.S. should fail, a veil of darkness will come over the Earth for a thousand years)
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To: Number57

Man, if that doesn't sound like a line out of Tobacco Road or Grapes of Wrath..

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I have read both and I totally fail to see the connection, it is simply an observation of fact. Most of the things I consider luxuries are not going up in price or are falling while housing, medical care etc. have gone up enormously. I would say that that type of observation is light years removed from Tobacco Road or Grapes of Wrath, two stories in which people were lucky to be able to stay alive. They certainly were not commenting on the relative prices of luxuries and necessities.

But then you would be far from the first to read something in that is really not there.


309 posted on 03/27/2006 6:27:14 AM PST by RipSawyer (Acceptance of irrational thinking is expanding exponentiallly.)
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To: RipSawyer

Sorry, been too busy to check for replies...

I thought "you know, luxuries are getting cheaper all the time but necessities are going sky high" recalled the story of Tobacco Road, when the son bought the car while the whole family was scrabbling for the smallest morsel to eat. Grandma dies and no one seems to notice. Eventually the car is beaten to scrap metal and they're at square one again.

I'm trying to recall this from memory, so forgive me if I made any major mistakes.

I have to be honest; I don't remember why I brought up Grapes of Wrath, except that maybe it was a study of a different family caught in nearly the same set of circumstances & timeframe. But vastly different in interaction, of course.


310 posted on 03/27/2006 8:08:15 PM PST by Number57
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To: Number57

Some high quality items are just too cheap. Consumers will not respect items that are priced too low and will treat them as disposibles. I have seen several examples of this recently.


311 posted on 03/28/2006 6:04:21 PM PST by The_Media_never_lie
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To: The_Media_never_lie
Some high quality items are just too cheap. Consumers will not respect items that are priced too low and will treat them as disposibles. I have seen several examples of this recently. Yeah. Like any electronics item in my living room. Give it up, USA.. no way you're getting the electronic market back. NEVER. And it was birthed here. Sad. Sold out and GONE. Gone. Cabrone.
312 posted on 03/28/2006 10:02:48 PM PST by Number57
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To: neutrino
Meanwhile, your words and actions repudiate everything he sacrificed his life for.

Actually, his death repudiates you.

313 posted on 03/29/2006 11:03:54 AM PST by 1rudeboy
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To: 1rudeboy
Actually, his death repudiates you.

Pounding upon the table again, I see.

Events are developing which will, I think, end globalization. I'm going to enjoy the developments that accomplish that worthy end.

And I look forward to our exchanges during the interim. I shall particularly enjoy your lamentations when free trade dies.

314 posted on 03/29/2006 3:12:10 PM PST by neutrino (Globalization is the economic treason that dare not speak its name.(173))
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To: neutrino

I should at least get some credit for not bringing your drivel to the attention of some of the veterans here. Let me ask you this, if a hundred U.S. soldiers die instead of ten, will it make your argument more persuasive? [hoot]


315 posted on 03/29/2006 3:15:30 PM PST by 1rudeboy
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To: 1rudeboy
I should at least get some credit for not bringing your drivel to the attention of some of the veterans here.

A very good point. But then I never suggested that you weren't a perfectly fine fellow - even if (sadly) misguided regarding f.t.

Let me ask you this, if a hundred U.S. soldiers die instead of ten, will it make your argument more persuasive? [hoot]

It is well that you add the "hoot" to the statement, since it shows that you intend humor. I agree, the premise of the statement is hilarious.

316 posted on 03/29/2006 4:15:30 PM PST by neutrino (Globalization is the economic treason that dare not speak its name.(173))
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To: neutrino

I didn't intend the comment to be humorous, I intended to show derision. It's a real question: try answering it, if you can. [hoot]


317 posted on 03/29/2006 4:22:36 PM PST by 1rudeboy
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To: 1rudeboy
I didn't intend the comment to be humorous, I intended to show derision. It's a real question: try answering it, if you can. [hoot]

Oh, come now. You're a clever fellow; you can communicate more effectively than that.

That said, if more people make the supreme sacrifice for their country, it casts those unwilling to spend a few extra dollars in an even harsher light.

318 posted on 03/29/2006 4:28:36 PM PST by neutrino (Globalization is the economic treason that dare not speak its name.(173))
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To: neutrino

What about those "unwilling to spend a few extra dollars" that have made the supreme sacrifice for their country? Not patriots, either?


319 posted on 03/29/2006 4:34:22 PM PST by 1rudeboy
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To: 1rudeboy
What about those "unwilling to spend a few extra dollars" that have made the supreme sacrifice for their country? Not patriots, either?

I'm sure that their spirits are on my side. I challenge you to prove me wrong.

320 posted on 03/29/2006 8:25:45 PM PST by neutrino (Globalization is the economic treason that dare not speak its name.(173))
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