As I have indicated previously, I have no problem with free trade as long as it is based on reciprocity. Both parties must allow equal access to their markets.
The EU thru various agreements does allow the free movement of labor between member countries. It is one of the reasons that the EU is under attack and possibly be dissolved.
As for Apple, that company greatly improves the lives of those who work there in China, while improving the lives of their customers world wide. They did not create the awful conditions in China, and cannot be held responsible for them…..their situation is as win win…..and again, the only “loser” is potential US jobs, but that’s due to US policies.
Do you really believe that the US can attract back US companies from China, India, and many other Third World countries by just changing some policies? IMO our problems are much deeper than that and there are policies that cannot be changed because they violate our value system.
It is an imperfect world, and freer trade is better for more people than less free trade. But nothing is utopia, and things only get worse when we try to find utopia.
Platitudes are great, but we have to plow the fields with the oxen God gave us. What do we do about currency manipulation that both the Chinese and Germans use to sell their exports? How long do we allow ourselves to be fleeced by bad trade agreements?
Very interesting chat, and we do have some areas of agreement….but I would make the following distinctions:
First, I don’t think reciprocity is necessarily do able because the customer bases of countries are so different. Reciprocity may be impossible to determine, which allows for bureaucratic monkey business.
Second, I reject your description of my prescrption as just changing “a few policies.” No, our entire structural liberalism would have to be removed.
Third, i reject the notion that jobs, the “same” jobs, need to come back…surely some will, but some are simply obsolete to our workforce today.
Fourth, the American laboroer, in the lower tiers, is simply not a good workforce. They lie, cheat, steal and file Workers comp claims and use a job as a form of welfare….this speaks to the vast problems we have in society that businesses must react to, but did not cause. This is not good for America….but I don’t blame the Chinese for this….and we can’t blame anyone for taking advantage of our self inflicted wounds….
Which brings me to fifth: this is not a zero sum game. If we got our house in order, nothing else would matter…and it wouldn’t be a bad thing for anyone…our economy would be the engine that helps the entire world. I reject that we “necessarily compete” with other countries. Economic growth is not zero sum, altho on some small levels, there is direct competition.
Great chat!