[bert]

believe me, I know and understand what you guys are saying.

But like it or not, the period of post war American dominance is over. The rest of the world is becoming what we were by doing what we did. They want a better quality of life.

We must compete.

[meyer]

Not only are they doing what we did, but we as a country are slouching towards socialism/fascism at an accelerating rate. A combination of heavy-handed government regulations and high taxation have conspired to chase real manufacturing out of the country.

And I don’t just mean direct regulation - the president’s war on coal has already increased our energy costs significantly. And of course, who cannot see the enormous cost of complying with the new Obamacare, especially smaller outfits.

And many of our schools and colleges are preparing students to be welfare-sucking freeloaders instead of productive citizens. Because getting even with “the man” is more important than doing something useful these days.

[Lagmeister]

But, you don't compete with China buy allowing their goods to be sold here tax free while our goods are highly taxed going into China. All of our trade agreements have not been 'fair trade', but rather pro corporate agreements that have allowed manufacturing abroad with maximum profits back in this country.

This is not competition as our founders envisioned, which is why they established the tariff. Competition is great, if there really is any. We have gone from a 'promote' the 'general Welfare' Constitution that was pro American business to self-identified global businesses that have knifed this country and the American worker in the back.