Posted on 07/28/2012 4:02:37 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Mitt Romney and Barack Obama are currently fighting over who is the more patriotic. Obama slams Romney for having outsourced jobs to China during his Bain Capital days. Romney punches back by labeling Obama Outsourcer in Chief. The latest is that both John Boehner and Harry Reid are voicing outrage over Americas made-in-China Olympic uniforms. Burn them! thunders Reid.
Republicans and Democrats strangely agree that outsourcing is unpatriotic, and that the moral and patriotic thing to do is to Hire American and Buy American.
Well, no. Not in a thousand years. The fear of outsourcing and international trade is economic nonsense and moral blindness. More than that: this anti-profit attitude is un-American.
Despite the ongoing Europeanization of America, America still symbolizes the land of freedom, entrepreneurship, profit-making, above all, individualism.
But collectivism is the premise of Hire/Buy American: we are to view ourselves and others not as individuals, but as units of a nation. Businesses are urged to pay more in labor costs, simply to hire workers who are American; consumers are urged to forgo Walmarts low prices, pay more, simply because the pricier goods were made by our guys. This is not rational patriotism, it is not Americanism, it's primitive tribalism.
American individualism means making buying decisions on the basis of economic merit, giving no regard to the nationality or race of the seller. Lets not hide behind patriotic-sounding slogans. Lets name things straight for a change: giving preference to American sellers over foreign sellers is the same mindless injustice as giving preference to sellers who are white over those who are black.
Economic nationalism is as morally outrageous as racism. Buying on the basis of nationality or race is the same collectivist evil: judging men and their products by the group from which they come, not by merit.
(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...
Yes the Chi Coms studied NEP and Deng talked to Armand Hammer about NEP. Hammer was there in Russia at the time.
I think Stalin ended NEP after Lenin died -- the useful idiots and the Nepmen became a, if not the, major factor in building the economy. Lenin's purpose to save the revolution because Marxism sure as hell wasn't helping and the masses were restless. Ditto post-Mao Red China.
After Lenin the Soviet ideologues were scared of NEP. They ended NEP and the Nepmen. I am sure "the people" seized their property back from the useful idiots like Henry Ford also.
The Chi Com ideologues have done NEP right.. they became the Nepmen and they are now millionaires and billionaires: Socialism with Chinese Characteristics.
.. but they are Dengists and are increasingly opposed by Maoists.
No matter who survives, Dengists or Maoists, the useful idiots' property will be "returned to the people." .. and I say, NO TARP to compensate the useful idiots!
When we go to war with China, I will not complain about any disruptions to trade. But, absent any official declaration of hostilities, the government should keep out of my life.
Keep Communist slavers out my life.
Meant to add (you probably guessed) you were cc’d in prior post.
What a crap reply. What is it about individual freedom that you don't like or trust? Why do you want government to dictate how we are allowed to use our property?
I think Marx would be proud of you.
What a crap reply. What is it about individual freedom that you don't like or trust? Why do you want government to dictate how we are allowed to use our property?
I think Marx would be proud of you.
I would never advocate anything that would put them into your life. Would that you were so concerned with liberty that you would pay me the same favor.
You are either economically retarded or delusional. Seek medical help.
I have no idea what you mean by that. You protectionists want to put the burden of the trade deficit on the citizens rather than the government. You acknowledge all its bad policies, but don't know enough about economics to understand that trade is always and everywhere beneficial under a stable currency and an honest political system.
Note this includes flooding the country with illegals and guest workers.
That is not part of free trade as I see it.
You have admitted you have no problem with trading with a country that has engaged in economic war on the US because you were "not born an economic slave to my countrymen.".
What the heck is "economic war?" Cheaper prices? That's not war; it's competition. And the joke there is that China makes its people poorer and us richer by selling us stuff at cheap prices.
You will focus on industries lost by that competition. I continue to focus on the reasons why the capital freed up isn't reinvested here.
In addition note the large global corporations have no problem with regulation; it is a great way to suppress competition. In fact the readily volunteer their expertise to help write said regulations.
That is, of course, true. Large corporations can bear the expense of those regulations and watch their smaller competitors go out of business. Axe the regulations -- perhaps, we agree on that.
You, and others, seem to want to take me to task for advocating a theoretical free trade that doesn't exist. What's wrong with that? The current system is just one of piling up negotiations, regulations, and crony deals.
Our government calls the current system "Free Trade," but it isn't. My version would not contain quotas, carve-outs, or protected friends industries.
Why don't you seek some economics education. You're like people I know who can't spell worth beans and, thus, declare that spelling isn't important.
You obviously don't know any economics and, therefore, refuse to debate it lapsing into meaningless nationalistic bromides, instead.
Protectionism as you advocate would make our economy even worse.
Tell it to Madison, Monroe,Jefferson and Washington.
ou obviously don't know any economics
Just because someone is in favor of tariffs doesn't mean they are economically naive. In my case I am in no way connected to manufacturing. I really wouldn't benefit from tariffs, actually it would seem to affect me adversely. But that is shortsighted. The damage to this country that off shoring had done by economic libertarians, one like yourself that have no allegiance to anyone or any country, is worse. They are traitors and have to be fought, hard. But then again I did a lot of things that weren't directly in my best interest in the name of my country. There are many dead and wounded veterens who "job" couldn't be off shored.
I minored in econ in college. As you get older and WISER, you will understand that economics is taught in a political vacuum, which is ridiculous.
Worth repeating.
What's interesting to me is that the protectionists who want to smear free traders with the taint of Marxism are the ones who actually endorse more government control over the economy. All for the "common good," of course.
Look, Marx did endorse free trade. So, what? He also endorsed manufacturing. Does that make manufacturing Marxist? It's ridiculous logic [if you can call it that] to associate free trade with Marxism if you don't also make the link with everything else he endorsed.
So, either be consistent or drop the phony link to Marxism you depend on and make some real arguments.
I minored in econ in college. As you get older and WISER, you will understand that economics is taught in a political vacuum, which is ridiculous.
Unfortunately, economics as taught in America since WWII is not taught in a political vacuum. Keynesianism reigns and neo-classicism follows close behind. Both are extremely political and favor government intervention. You evidently learned your lessons well.
When all else fails ignore what was actually posted.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2911916/posts?page=474#474
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2911916/posts?page=475#475
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2911916/posts?page=476#476
To repeat, Yuri was frighteningly correct.
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