The 'Exporting Jobs' Scam by Harry Browne

HarryBrowne.org ^ | March 13, 2004 | Harry Browne

[JTG]

I think that some good points are made in this column, especially the point that it's interesting some of the politicians and reformers who have demanded the above impositions on business are the same folks that some of the people who are condemning the companies that move some of their production facilities offshore are the same people who put all of this unnecessary regulation on them.

[Arkinsaw]

Where libertarians make sense, like here, we ought to listen and work with them.

[JTG]

What areas can't you work with them on?

[MJY1288]

I must admit, I have little use or respect for Harry Browne, but as a business man myself, I have to completely agree with him on this one. It's not the wages, it's the strangle hold the Government has on American Business with their over regulation and their way of punishing all for the crimes of a few. Example: I own an Auto Body Shop, I use tons of paint, all of which is harmful to the environment if not disposed of properly, the FEDS here of some hideous act by some Body Shop Owner that dumped 500 Gallons of un-used paint into a River and the whole industry pays because of some jerk off in Congress who wants to get re-elected on his Pro-Environment stand. Yet the other 2 million Body Shop Owner's who have never dumped their Toxic waste like the one violator did, we all pay for by new regulations that have to be funded in order for them to be enforced. So the Govt. comes up with a "Registration Fee" or "Toxic Waste" surcharge in order to fund this new Bureaucracy.

For the first time since I have read anything Harry Browne has written, I agree with him.

[Arkinsaw]

What areas can't you work with them on?

Open borders for one.

[bcoffey]

Interestingly, a CNBC business program about an hour ago stated that there are more jobs being imported into the U.S. from overseas than are being exported from the U.S. to overseas.

If we were to tighten job flow, it would tighten in both directions, and we would be the net losers.

I've never heard this statement before and I think it should be spread far and wide.

[petercooper]

Stop the excessive govt regulation.
Stop taxing businesses and individuals to death.

This outsourcing "issue" is a non-issue.

[MJY1288]

That statement is exactly correct, the problem is not the big business, It's big Government. Punish the law breakers and leave the law abiding business people alone, PROBLEM SOLVED

[MJY1288]

The list is very long of why I dislike Harry Browne, but even a broken clock is right twice a day, and Harry Browne is 100% correct on this one, and despite my dislike for his politics, I have to give him an "Attaboy" on this one

[MJY1288]

BINGO

[JTG]

The problem with the immigration issue is the influx of people from Mexico seeking a handout. Those people are the "bad immigrants". The good immigrants are people who bring capital with them and want to start up businesses, or people who actually want to work and not be on the government dole.

Private property rights work by themselves to protect from influxes of immigrants anyway. Even if we had massive amounts of immigrants coming in, they would either have to buy private property or leave. They can't just crowd on people's lawns and stuff.

[rdb3]

I can't believe I'm agreeing with Browne. Simply can't believe it.

Show 'em my motto!

[rdb3]

Where libertarians make sense, like here, we ought to listen and work with them.

On things economic, libertarians make tons of sense. But that's about as far as I can go with them.

Show 'em my motto!

[freekitty]

As usual, it's the you know what government that is the problem. And the problem there is it way too big which makes it out of control.

So what do we do?

[Arkinsaw]

Private property rights work by themselves to protect from influxes of immigrants anyway. Even if we had massive amounts of immigrants coming in, they would either have to buy private property or leave. They can't just crowd on people's lawns and stuff.

Sorry, I agree with Browne on the above, but not this at all.

[JTG]

We elect Libertarians and TRUE Republicans, republicans who are economically conservative. Republicans who want to get rid of the government regulation and high taxes. That's what we do. And we elect more conservative/libertarian senators to the Senate, because the Senate is the stumbling block. The Senators are the people who reduced the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts. Just my 2 cents.

[Libloather]

The only concrete solution that's been offered (that I've come across) is the introduction of state laws to require any companies doing business with the state government to produce their products within the U.S.

Liberteens for MORE laws? Doesn't add up.

My solution - end the minimum wage.

[Enduring Freedom]

The quality of software is higher in India than it is in America.

Think that's a lie?

It isn't.

Better software. Cheaper.

Get it?

[JTG]

That's fine. It's not that big of an issue for most people, but certainly Harry Browne wouldn't care if states set up their own border control. He just doesn't want the federal government doing it, because it's not authorized in the Constitution.

I don't agree with Harry on everything, either. For example, I disagree with the typical libertarian position on drunk driving: they think that you can't arrest drunk drivers until they hit someone, and I think that's just stupid. There is nothing wrong with driving checkpoints for drunk drivers. Driving is a right, not a privilege. I do however disagree with safety belt laws. I think that once you are 18+, you should be able to drive without a seat belt. But I do believe that kids must be in child seats or in seat belts. If you want to screw up your own life, that's fine. But don't put your kids in danger. That's how I feel about those two issues.

[KEVLAR]

I would love to see some suggestions. We still have courts siding with environmental groups to manufacture regulations or bankrupt those in their sights. Just look at the uproar over the current administration injecting a little common sense into the EPA regs.