Posted on 10/25/2007 8:12:27 PM PDT by Philistone
“The exchange of lawful goods and services. Now will you answer?”
Then absolutely, YES.
“freedom and liberty are not just intellectual superior, they’re morally superior.”
I agree. Are you familiar with the Heritage Foundation texts and reference items for defining “Economic Degrees of Freedom”? FreeTrade ‘shills’ as I like to call them have their two separate definitions for freedom. The old lingo from a few years ago called it “Degrees of Trade Open-ness”. Today, they’ve replaced “Trade Openness” with “Freedom”. The variables for defining a countries economic ‘freedom’ includes civil rights areas. BAD BAD BAD. People will then say, well, if you’re against trade that hurts the US, then you must be against ‘freedom’.
You can tell that it’s a never-ending tail chase. I went through it with Toddster once, just for sport. He failed :)
You and I are likely on the same page, but the free trade shills have done one heck of a job screwing the terminology up. That hurts everyone trying to understand things.
I don’t blame them.
>>The falling dollar is a pay cut for every American that has to buy imports.<<
Key words there are “has to”.
And not all imports will be affected - like Chinese. Do you buy much stuff from china?
For it to fall directly implicates a lowered U.S. standard of living.
As one example, note oil prices:
It has a wide number of other deleterious hazards which needn't be enumerated here.
There are far, far better ways to promote greater export performance and domestic production vis-a-vis import consumption.
So says the EPI agreeing, union loving, math challenged noob.
ISSUES > Trade and Economic Freedom
Trade and Economic Freedom
Expanding global trade is one of the keys to building a stronger economy at home and promoting better relationships abroad. Trade is also one of America’s best weapons in fighting poverty and hunger in the world’s poorer nations.
http://www.heritage.org/research/tradeandforeignaid/
2007 Index of Economic Freedom
http://www.heritage.org/research/features/index/downloads.cfm
Below are the 10 factors used for determining a county’s ‘Freedom’
Business Freedom
Trade Freedom
Fiscal Freedom
Freedom from Government
Monetary Freedom
Investment Freedom
Financial Freedom
Property rights
Freedom from Corruption
Labor Freedom
Note that ‘Trade Freedom’ is but only ONE of the 10 listed, yet free traders will beat others on the head over the term freedom, while relying on this as a foundation. I don’t agree with that at all. That’s the stinger. If my nation will drop it’s standard of living in order that Bolivia’s Degrees of Freedom gets closer to ours, I’ll throw a flag up.
LMAO!!! Gotta love noobs :)
We could also include the greater hazard of foreign control of core elements of U.S. technology and industry due to a depreciated cost of acquisition, and comparatively understated asset valuation.
And the dollar decline will also have an inflationary effect on the cost of capital. It will tend to drive up U.S. interest rates in treasuries to compensate so as to elicit continued foreign interest in those investments.
“The dollar is the basis of our standard of living.
For it to fall directly implicates a lowered U.S. standard of living.”
I was just mentioning that standard of living thing. Good point!
***Note, so there’s no confusion. I DO NOT agree with the premise of the material found at the links I provided. I am giving an example of what I see as cool-aid. Read, but DO NOT consume :))
“I saw that and didn’t comment. I knew it was a mud-hole. You know me well enough to know I care most about the policies, rather than pointing fingers so much at the companies. They simply work within whatever legislative boundaries we allow them. Assuming “we” to be “the people” via our elected officials.”
That was the worst sentence I ever typed : ) What I meant was too many businesses are looking at short term gain,long range planning and stability be damned.
“Below are the 10 factors used for determining a county’s ‘Freedom’
Business Freedom
Trade Freedom
Fiscal Freedom
Freedom from Government
Monetary Freedom
Investment Freedom
Financial Freedom
Property rights
Freedom from Corruption
Labor Freedom
Note that ‘Trade Freedom’ is but only ONE of the 10 listed, yet free traders will beat others on the head over the term freedom, while relying on this as a foundation. I don’t agree with that at all. That’s the stinger. If my nation will drop it’s standard of living in order that Bolivia’s Degrees of Freedom gets closer to ours, I’ll throw a flag up.”
Worth repeating as often as possible!!
BUMP
Based on what? Dollars, right? So if those dollars decline, it is absolutely fair for DB to say we are "Poorer", as he says here:
The falling value of the dollar does NOT improve our standard of living. It makes every American poorer relative to the rest of the world.
DB's usage makes it clear that his is a vector of change comparison. Not an absolute comparison. He didn't say "Poorer THAN" the rest of the world. He said simply poorer, relative to the rest of the world, than we would otherwise be or have been.
“That was the worst sentence I ever typed : )”
It damn near got me banned (lol). Perceptions are all wacky today. I got hammered over being interested in policies. Hmmm...don’t know what to say. It’s the only way I know of to ensure change in business practices, market aside.
You’re absolutely right, it is indeed the quarterly earnings reports that rule the day for most. I think you made your point, I just knew I’d get a lot of mud on me if I defended it :)
From the article:
Analysts viewed the September increase with skepticism. All the strength was in the West, a region that has been pounded by the credit crunch. "This is definitely not a signal that the housing market is turning around," said David Seiders, chief economist at the National Association of Home Builders. The group's own survey of builder confidence fell to a record low earlier this month.
My personal opinion is the gov't lied on the Sept. figures to get people to buy homes thinking the housing market is turning around. Watch them revise them lower next month.
If I could, I’d put the whole thing in my tagline.
Thanks for the reply Clemenza.
The Dollar's Decline in Perspective
The principle tenents of the article could still be written today, and remain accurate and pertinent descriptions of our government's predicament.
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