Posted on 06/14/2015 3:17:22 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
When the proceeds of growth are not widely shared, the consensus in favor of pro-growth measures cracks.
A decade and a half ago, I filled my days writing speeches urging Congress to grant President George W. Bush fast-track trade authority. If memory serves, I wrote more speeches on that one subject than on any other. Obviously, I didn’t earn my pay: Despite Republican majorities in both Houses, Congress balked.
This past year, President Obama has worked as hard for fast-track authority as President Bush ever did. It now seems that his efforts will prove as unavailing. This time, if anything, the loss is even more heartbreaking, because the prize in reach is bigger than anything on offer in 2001-2002: a Trans-Pacific Partnership on trade.
TPP matters both to the American economy and to American security. China’s admission to the World Trade Organization in 2001 was necessary and unavoidable. How can you sustain a multilateral-trade regime without including the world’s largest exporter and second-largest importer? But the price of China’s inclusion in the WTO was the paralysis of the multilateral trade regime that had evolved since the 1940s: Trade-liberalization negotiations that included China just became too difficult....
(Excerpt) Read more at theatlantic.com ...
You are the one that wanted to draw lessons from a developing 19th century economy.
Low tariffs are good when you are a developing country and when you are a developed country.
Insulating the US economy against Chinese and Indian competition will simply delay the inevitable. And when Chinese and Indian competition hits us the US economy will be far less prepared for it.
Again, we become French. We tell international markets they should buy French wine at a premium over superior California wine because of history and “terroir.” And they should pay a 20% premium on Renault over a superior Toyota because “it is French!”
Well there's a cure for that. Make the bill public. Use your vote on TPA as leverage if you have to, but don't talk down to your base and play cheap shell games. If you did vote for TPA then you've just lost any leverage you might have had to unveil whatever is in homobama's TPP.
And if you've given away your vote for TPA without forcing a public review of TPP beforehand, then you're either hopelessly stupid or just another cheap political whore.
Well, that’s assuming they buy things. If you aren’t paid anything, you can’t buy much.
One of the last Movietone reels I saw was in 1980. It extolled the benefits of free trade with China because of a billion new customers. At the time I laughed; they had no money, what could they buy? Better made Mao jackets?
Of course it became apparent 10 years later that no one actually believed that they were going to buy anything. The plan all along was to break U.S. unions by offshoring entire factories.
Lots of people here think that’s a good thing. But regardless, the point is that the whole free trade argument about market efficiency is crap. The intent was entirely about destroying middle class demands in the U.S. and reducing them to the wage level of Chinese labor. Not there yet, but that’s because we have been borrowing to maintain the lifestyle.
So the economy of scale argument has reality for some products. But wasn’t the point of free trade supposedly to open up those markets to goods produced in the U.S., thus driving growth?
One little example I posted yesterday: the Ford plant in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. It makes 385,000 cars almost entirely for export to...us.
Hermosillo is a third world town notable for its proximity to Kino Bay, where gringos go to fish and get drunk on spring break. From Arizona, a State of the United States.
The Ford Motor Company has never had so much as a parts factory in Arizona. Zip, Squat, Nada. But they have of course many dealerships there and have for a century.
Arizona is not Michigan. It was a Right To Work state since the 30s. The copper companies made sure of that. So wages have always been typically half what midwestern wages were.
Did that drive Ford to locate in Tucson or Phoenix?
Nope. They went to a place that is 3 centuries in the past. With no other industries except fishing and drug smuggling. They aren’t even close enough to the border to get in on the illegal immigration gig that much.
In what way is this the “free trade” we were sold starting back in the 70s? They had no native expertise or industry, they had no indigenous capital driving them. It was entirely an initiative of a U.S. company to reduce costs and take advantage of an entirely different set of rules.
Eventually such a thing will equilibriate when the people in the originating country end up with the wage and standard of living of the people in the outsource country.
In the meantime massive trade deficits accrue to the originating country, but possibly do benefit the multinational that could take advantage.
Exactly! Think of the cost of, "affordable care" then imagine, "free trade" and both have required secrecy to effect...I'll pass.
George Washington was not a socialist, but he was a devout protectionist.
Beautifully said.
Actually, I would except for the impression (at least from what I’ve seen here the last week or two) is that all of these ‘explanations’ seem to be coming from Cruz’ camp.
FOR ANY CONGRESSMAN, SENATOR or CANDIDATE that supports this at this time, I say they are wrong, period.
From my perspective, whether one deflects the argument off by saying “look at the other candidates” or deflecting discussion away from what I feel is a deep problem with the TPA (and TPP if I ever get to see it) by saying that I don’t understand it or I am trashing Cruz over other candidates is disingenuous.
I am 100% for Cruz at present. That does not mean that I support him on this issue. I think he is wrong. Channeling the fault to other Senators/Congressman isn’t an answer; it is an excuse for a weak and dissembling argument in my opinion.
We can vote against the Marxist Free trading Income Tax lovers like you. I am standing up the radical Free Traitor gloBULLIst thugs where ever I find them.
That is a lie therefore you are Free traitor religious zealot. You deny history and sound like a Nazi, at least to me. I am not calling you a Nazi but your deny facts is a Nazi tactic.
Cruz attacked Sen Sessions and called him a liar when in fact he is the liar .
He pushed some phony Op-ed which was full of half truths and misinformation.
I wonder if his Wife Heidi wrote because.....,
Ted and his wife Heidi a international Trade VP at Goldman Sachs going to make millions when TPP passes .
Heidi Cruz is on a leave of absence which means she will make who knows how many millions .
She hasn't left so she qualifies for a huge windfall when her sleazy organization massive corporate takeover of the US is passed.
Convenient isn't its.
She probably would qualify is she left anyway because any Trade worked in the Goldman trade Division and would have a contract. covering all her prior work.
Its called a conflict of interest , cronyism, and illegal in any world but Congress.
Goldman help write this Crony capitalism Treason in secret at the White House . infact, Recent Goldman staffers hires are running pushing the Trojan Horse with donations to Congress. Its a shameless situation. Cruz should have recuse himself and nit vote rather than act as Head Cheerleader and chief liar for Barry the Soros puppet.
Our exports during the 19th century were tiny, even up to the 1940's exports were less then 5% of gdp. We really were isolationist then. And very successful economically.
You can check out all our free trade treaties and legislation...Not one shrunk our trade deficit. They all do the opposite and this is why I am against free trade. The only thing that has kept us afloat is pushing our debts onto other nations (they end up financing them) via US Dollar supremacy as the worlds premier reserve currency. And amazingly enough the US Dollar is very strong right now due to Federal Reserve and Wall Street machinations. Don’t ask me what levers they pull ...lol... But they have successfully body slammed oil prices plus gold and silver too.
Fracking oil and gas is one honest way the US Dollar is riding high right now.
Americans are against consolidated government. Fifty some years ago, I had a discussion with an undergrad government student but the differences between the way that Congress “worked” and the way that Parliament worked. Today, Congress is doing the same thing, by passing big ass bills that in effect give the Executive agencies unstinted powers.
>> After NAFTA, which was supposed to promote free movement of people and goods, a trip of a few hours into Canada involves passports, customs forms, and armies of border guards <<
NAFTA? What about post-9/11 safeguards against Canada-based terrorists?
I’m against TPA/TPP and I think Cruz is wrong as are the majority of the other declared and likely candidates.
However, I find it equally diversionary and channeling to depart into the possible what-ifs with regard to Cruz’ wife, her job or prospects in relation to this and how that may have affected Cruz’ stand. I just don’t find him and his record to support that kind of deviousness.
This trade TPA/TPP et al is wrong on the merits (actually, demerits). We don’t need to stop it based on suppositions that could or could not be. It strikes me as rather ‘tin-foily’. It smacks of opposition candidate advocacy, frankly.
Same reason they’re turning against unicorns and leprechauns. They don’t exist. Calling a new plan to cut American workers pay so fascists can make another billion free trade doesn’t make it all better. Which of the “free trade” agreements that we have already signed have improved the lives of American workers?
TPP has been in negotiations since 2009 which is coincident with the monster taking control in the white hut. That is all I need to know. It is up for vote now only because this is the last time it has a chance of passing...if this hits the blocks next year during an election, the truth will come out as how bad a deal this is for the US because those running against the jackass shills will be in the open and not able to hide behind secrecy.
Late Friday’s argument for it from none other than glib shill Ryan was this is the best deal we can get because to pass it next week the dems will require adding on give away legislation. OK, if it is so bad to pass these give away programs, just don’t vote for them, the GOP has the majority last I looked. They need be guided by a simple principle, anything Barry wants is not to be approved...period.
The whole think stinks like a north Georgia chicken house in the summer time.
Would you be in favor of replacing the income tax with tariffs and a NSRT(consumption based)?
They really can't seem unable to give a yes or no answer. it trips them up completely.
This is not “FREE TRADE”. This is an unfair trade with whatever country we made that agreement with. They can import anything they want, while we can export only those things that are acceptable to those countries. Why do you think these countries are doing some heavy bribing to our politicians. OUR POLITICIANS ARE SELLING US OUT, AGAIN.
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