What to Expect When You’re Free Trading

New York Times ^ | January 16, 2008 | STEVEN E. LANDSBURG

[LowCountryJoe]

Rochester

IN the days before Tuesday’s Republican presidential primary in Michigan, Mitt Romney and John McCain battled over what the government owes to workers who lose their jobs because of the foreign competition unleashed by free trade. Their rhetoric differed — Mr. Romney said he would “fight for every single job,” while Mr. McCain said some jobs “are not coming back” — but their proposed policies were remarkably similar: educate and retrain the workers for new jobs.

All economists know that when American jobs are outsourced, Americans as a group are net winners. What we lose through lower wages is more than offset by what we gain through lower prices. In other words, the winners can more than afford to compensate the losers. Does that mean they ought to? Does it create a moral mandate for the taxpayer-subsidized retraining programs proposed by Mr. McCain and Mr. Romney?

Um, no. Even if you’ve just lost your job, there’s something fundamentally churlish about blaming the very phenomenon that’s elevated you above the subsistence level since the day you were born. If the world owes you compensation for enduring the downside of trade, what do you owe the world for enjoying the upside?

[Snip]

One way to think about that is to ask what your moral instincts tell you in analogous situations. Suppose, after years of buying shampoo at your local pharmacy, you discover you can order the same shampoo for less money on the Web. Do you have an obligation to compensate your pharmacist? If you move to a cheaper apartment, should you compensate your landlord? When you eat at McDonald’s, should you compensate the owners of the diner next door? Public policy should not be designed to advance moral instincts that we all reject every day of our lives.

[1rudeboy]

Illegals and trade are interlinked and intertwined.

I hear that a lot, usually from someone who's losing an argument about trade. How are they linked? One's illegal and the other legal.

[Fan of Fiat]

Wow....what an accusation. Please link to your sources to back up your claims.

Easy - From your link in post 31:

"That's great, but don't kill an American job and put it in the hands of someone making one-tenth as much just to send that same good or service back to the United States. That's what's unique and different, and that's what has to be stopped. As far as ways to do it, we could do it with regulation. One would hope that before that, corporate America would find a conscience. But failing that, regulation is entirely necessary, I'm all for it, and my apologies to the libertarians."

Hmmmm... Government telling me who I can and can't fire? Sounds a lot like:

favor expanding governmental power? at the expense of individual liberty?

[Halgr]

Well you got me pegged. ;-)

I am as anti-globalist as one could possibly imagine....I was a manufacturing accountant for 12 years. What I have seen and experienced on a personal level has brought me to this world view.

I didn’t have to read “your book”.

[1rudeboy]

Thanks, I hadn't gotten around to reposting what nicmarlo had already posted.

[mysterio]

Mase works for a company that has 2 plants in China.

No kidding?

[1rudeboy]

Hey, I spent close to twelve years in the manufacturing industry also! Granted, I sold my product (manufactured in the U.S.A.) overseas, so I come to a different conclusion.

[1rudeboy]

Even worse. He’s been known to eat Chinese food.

[nicmarlo]

lol...that one fell flat. It’s a tautologic flaw. Get some new air in your tires, or something.

Link to something credible to back up the outrageous claims that Phyllis Schlafly and Lou Dobbs “favor expanding governmental power at the expense of individual liberty” as opposed to the government RECTIFYING THEIR MANAGED TRADE which you globalists call “free trade.” As it now is, the government is interfering with trade, as it is anything BUT free trade.

[am452]

Say, help remind me . . . weren’t you the guy supporting the Chinese military machine because to do otherwise was inconvenient and more expensive?

I told you sometimes I had to buy a chinese item and gave your the reasons. Everyone on this site has bought Chinese made items. Also There are some items I buy for my business that are made in China because there is ZERO 0 Nada zip equivalant item made in any other country. They have the market locked up.

BTW I never said I bought Chinese items because they were cheaper.

You mentioned you have only bought 2-3 items from China since 1989......and you have kept track of it. Now that is something....weird...that you keep track of it. How is that '96 Audi you just bought? No wonder you don't buy anything from China. If I only bought used stuff that old I wouldn't either.

[mysterio]

I hope his dog doesn’t. lol

[Mase]

His job could be next? I respect that he doesn't demand that I pay higher prices to protect HIS job.

Yeah, rather than acquiring the skill sets necessary to remain relevant in a competitive economy, our opponents here would enlist the help of government to save them from the unkind outside world. It's a jungle out there so why should they compete when they can get the productive sector of the economy to support them? This may also be caused by the fact they relish being victims. As victims, they can come here and whine about their position in life and find sympathy - unlike in the cruel world of competition.

am452 is a retread who was banned from FR. He won't tell us his previous screen name but I suspect he got tired of anti-FReeping over at the LP echo chamber and came back here to get some payback from those who spanked him so mercilessly in the past.

[Fan of Fiat]

Link to something credible

You're the one who linked to "Mother Jones", not me! LOL!!!

[am452]

No kidding?

Posted by Mase to am452 On News/Activism 10/24/2007 12:21:22 PM PDT · 106 of 108 The company I work for has built two plants in China over the past decade because we had to be located where our customers were growing. When they expand to India, Africa or Russia, we'll have to go there too. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post Reply | Private Reply | To 105 | View Replies

[nicmarlo]

As I figured. You make outrageous claims but cannot support them.

All you are able to do is post little pictures. foflmao.

[NRA2BFree]

What we lose through lower wages is more than offset by what we gain through lower prices.

The ignorance of liberals is unbelievable. Does this moron not understand that NO ONE lowered their prices. In fact, EVERYTHING has gone up! Do you suppose he really thinks free trade is also fair trade? Well, here's a little tidbit for him. It's NOT! It's not free and it's not fair. The US ALWAYS gets screwed in ANY and ALL trade deals.

[Mase]

Sorry if it upsets you that I posted from two sides of the spectrum and they came to the same conclusions.

You're good at posting lots of articles for others to wade through. Why won't you list just a few of the most important points (to you) that Schlafly and Dobbs make and let's debate them? What are you afraid of?

[mysterio]

I bet that would be a fun factory to work in. If you don’t like stuff like money and days off. lol

[Fan of Fiat]

I was quoting from your freakin’ link. Yeah, the Mother Jones article. Your own references aren’t good enough for you?

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1954493/posts?page=30#30

http://www.motherjones.com/news/qa/2005/02/lou_dobbs.html

[nicmarlo]

Sorry, but your taunting is childish.

I have no wish to debate anything with you. I like posting articles and have lurkers think for themselves, articles which obviously contradict the fairy tales you and your globalist pals tell.

You’ve never been able to convince me and other conservatives of anything, and it’s obvious that other conservatives and I won’t convince you globalists of anything.

But, posting links to articles for the lurkers will at least dispel some of your propaganda and they can then think for themselves.

[1rudeboy]

I just think it’s interesting that you are able to impugn the motives of someone because they work for a company that has an operation in China, yet you so easily rationalize the fact that you buy Chinese products.