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To: Wombat101
How eveident are the benefits of "free trade" to the American economy (in the long term) when a walk through Wal-Mart shows that the only products stamped "Made in America" are Pepsi, Doritos, Cigarettes and a wide range of laxatives, and all the furniture, electronics, shoes and clothing, plastics and a host of other products all say "Made in China"?

The benefits are evident to anyone who understands the concepts in the article.

Much of the rest of your points go to whether or not this country has a logical consistent trade policy. It does not, as you point out. Perhaps it should be a political initiative. But in the past, that effort has descended into a call for high tariffs, trade wars and isolationism. A truly horrible "solution" to the problem.

62 posted on 10/25/2006 7:16:15 AM PDT by Protagoras (If you take baby steps toward hell, sooner or later your shoes will be on fire.)
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To: Protagoras

Wrong. You aren't going to pass that Chinese furniture down through the generations like you did with the quality stuff made in North Carolina. Oh, that blender your grandparents bought in the 1950's that works. Maybe you can borrow that when the Chinese crap broke down after 18 months. Yes, the Chinese are putting great shoes together too. Americans knew/know nothing about that.

It's a trade off. We are not trading like and like here. We are getting disposable crap for cheapness. Absolute crap.


73 posted on 10/25/2006 7:27:15 AM PDT by dogbyte12
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To: Protagoras

I do not advocate retaliatory traiffs and restraint of trade.

The point I am trying to make, perhaps badly, is that there are industries with which we could not live, with the same quality of life we now enjoy. Many of those industries are losing out to foreign competition, some are simply too hide-bound to adopt to changing business enviornments, and so, they take the easy way out and stiff their workers. While that may increase the profitability of the company and give consumers lower prices, it also works to eliminate employment opportunities, lower wages and ensure that when we might need them, there will be no more steelworkers, auto workers, or even plastic ashtray producers left.

Oh, and by the way, creating large numbers of service-sector jobs that pay minimum wage to replace manufacturing or professional positions that pay a much higher one, eventually pays dwindling economic returns.


76 posted on 10/25/2006 7:30:00 AM PDT by Wombat101 (Islam: Turning everything it touches to Shi'ite since 632 AD...)
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