Like the rest of the libertarian fringe, free market fundamentalists put the principle above every other consideration. Free markets are a tool to increase wealth, help ensure individual freedom, and provide for the wants and needs of people. They are not, in and of themselves, an absolute good that transcends all others. As a principle it is important, but not ultimate. As a practice, we don't have anything close to free markets, and there is no political constituency to create truer, freer markets. Real free markets perhaps existed in the late 19th century. They were free of troublesome legislation and government regulation. They included 12 hour work days as routine, child labor was widespread, and famously workers locked into sweatshops burnt to death when buildings caught fire. But HEY! It was a real free market! Strangely "the sheeple" seem to have almost zero interest in going back to these conditions. Perhaps they recall the stuggles their grandfathers and grandmothers went through to win the regulations and containment of the free market that we have today. I don't know. I've never seen a poll conducted on it. Buisness owners have now taken to simply exporting entire factories as the obvoius end around to this. The "Free Market" fetishists insist this is good for everyone, but really WalMart products are not THAT cheap. There are obvious soluitions, such as tarrifs and immigration limitations that, yes, might result in some "protected" goods costing more. So? The alternative seems to be Brazilification of our economy. How can Americans compete with Chinese when to hire someone in the USA the company has to comply with: OSHA, EPA, OOEC, Labor Department and Misc. State and Local regulations, while paying for LTD insurance, workman's comp insurane, Social Security, Medicare, state taxes, local taxes. The Free Market Fetishists answer is we should do away with all these!! Brilliant - to compete with China we will turn into China!! I don't see jobs being wholesale exported to Sweden or Germany. Perhaps we can have free trade with our equals, that is other nations that have functioning post-industrial societies. We can not, and should not, insist that American workers compete with Chinese (who would be shot if they tried to organize a real labor union). Free Trade: means to an end. Tarrifs: another means to an end. Both are useful tools if used wisely and blunt instruments capable of causing great damage if used unwisely.
Like the rest of the libertarian fringe, free market fundamentalists put the principle above every other consideration. Free markets are a tool to increase wealth, help ensure individual freedom, and provide for the wants and needs of people. They are not, in and of themselves, an absolute good that transcends all others. As a principle it is important, but not ultimate.
As a practice, we don't have anything close to free markets, and there is no political constituency to create truer, freer markets. Real free markets perhaps existed in the late 19th century. They were free of troublesome legislation and government regulation. They included 12 hour work days as routine, child labor was widespread, and famously workers locked into sweatshops burnt to death when buildings caught fire. But HEY! It was a real free market!
Strangely "the sheeple" seem to have almost zero interest in going back to these conditions. Perhaps they recall the stuggles their grandfathers and grandmothers went through to win the regulations and containment of the free market that we have today. I don't know. I've never seen a poll conducted on it.
Buisness owners have now taken to simply exporting entire factories as the obvoius end around to this. The "Free Market" fetishists insist this is good for everyone, but really WalMart products are not THAT cheap.
There are obvious soluitions, such as tarrifs and immigration limitations that, yes, might result in some "protected" goods costing more. So? The alternative seems to be Brazilification of our economy.
How can Americans compete with Chinese when to hire someone in the USA the company has to comply with: OSHA, EPA, OOEC, Labor Department and Misc. State and Local regulations, while paying for LTD insurance, workman's comp insurane, Social Security, Medicare, state taxes, local taxes.
The Free Market Fetishists answer is we should do away with all these!! Brilliant - to compete with China we will turn into China!!
I don't see jobs being wholesale exported to Sweden or Germany. Perhaps we can have free trade with our equals, that is other nations that have functioning post-industrial societies. We can not, and should not, insist that American workers compete with Chinese (who would be shot if they tried to organize a real labor union).
Free Trade: means to an end. Tarrifs: another means to an end. Both are useful tools if used wisely and blunt instruments capable of causing great damage if used unwisely.
It is a tragedy and shows only that the elites of both parties are more concerned with esoteric principles, as you appear to be, than the real lives of Americans.
They are more than willing to sacrafice the standard of living in the USA to build up a middle class in India and China.
If you are a fat-cat mogel, whether you are the Lionsgate President jetting off to cut Uranium deals in Khazakastan with their dictator (accompanied by President Clinton), or Hillary Clinton sitting on the board of WalMart, or George W. and his many super-rich supporters it's of no account HOW markets grow, as long as they do.
If high wage, high added value jobs disapear from the USA, but you can sell iPODs in India, why do you care?
The elites of both parties have let us down. This is one reason I am so happy that, at least, Hillary is going down bigtime.