Posted on 03/30/2016 6:26:02 AM PDT by central_va
“Free trade” would more accurately be called “freedom for other countries to undercut and destroy American domestic production” because in practice that is what is happening. This is an undeniable fact that should be obvious to any consumer or business in this country. Very little of what is consumed here is made by American-owned companies operating in America. This was not formerly the case, and it was not how the wealth of this country was created.
Proponents of “free trade” justify their position by saying it is supplying American consumers with access to the lowest cost, most competitive market. However, this does not justify the terrible consequences. Proponents dismiss the destruction to American domestic production by wishfully thinking we will find new ways to reinvent ourselves. How will we continue to pay for these cheap foreign goods with no industry to generate our own wealth?
“Free trade” proponents fail to say that free access to subsidized foreign production is destroying America’s chances to be competitive.
(Excerpt) Read more at economyincrisis.org ...
America is the single largest consumer market in the world. (for now) A lot of Americans could make a lot of money selling to Americans.
You know my biggest expenses are house and student loan payments. I buy hardly any crap from China. I also grow a lot of my own food.
It is sad that it takes two incomes to support what one income could support in 1970.
The road to American prosperity is not hopping on the cheap labor express.
People don’t buy 40k+ BMWs because they are cheaper then a Buick, they buy them because they are better cars.
Americans will still clamor for BMWs with 5000% tariffs, but BMW won’t bother to ship here, competition will shrivel up, and corporations won’t bother to innovate state side.
How do you expect us to sell our capitol goods around the world? Or should we sell everything in a closed economy, like the North Koreans do?
So BMWs are built with cheap labor? As are Audi’s and Hondas?
Or are they simply better cars?
Real "Free Trade" would not be an agreement. We don't need a counter-party with whom to "Deal".
Real Free Trade would be the elimination of taxation and bureaucracy on all imports to and exports from the U.S. We could declare that unilaterally with a law from Congress REPEALING tens of thousands of pages of rules and taxes.
Your simpleton argument is bothersome.
Trade and buying from China has helped lift millions out of poverty, increasing their purchasing power, while reducing our costs.
We export capitol goods and import consumer goods, hence the trade “deficit.”
Thankfully our per capita GDP of 5x the average Chinese allows us to import consumer goods at an affordable price.
Again, ask yourself why an IPhone is nearly double in Brazil and Argentina
“I am saying that is beneficial and a good thing.”
Certainly it’s beneficial, to a minority of workers and business owners. It’s not beneficial to the country as a whole, though, and that is what the federal government is charged with protecting, the “common good”, not the individual good.
“More tariffs, less income taxes.”
Less tariffs, less income taxes. Starve the beast.
There are lots of real objective reasons why life in America sucks:
1) Too much government
2) Too high taxes
3) Too much spending
4) Too much welfarism
5) Too few fathers
6) Awful Education
7) Too much bureaucracy
8) Too much regulation
9) Too many illegal immigrants (one is too many, IMO) driving down wages for actual Americans.
The full dead-weight-loss of all those things has been horrific. The American middle-class has been devastated as a result.
There is no need to then ascribe that horror to the idea that you or I can choose what products to buy and from whom we may buy on pain of higher taxes for the governmental leviathan. The policies above are completely capable by themselves in causing the difficulties to which you point.
Close enough!
Your argument is more bothersome.
I don’t buy any iCrap stuff.
And explain to me, why I should give two shits about lifting millions in China out of poverty, or explain why you give a shit. Why is that even a consideration?
Our government is controlled by traitors like Hillary, who have no problem selling us out.
They don’t advocate TRUE, pure free trade. The advantages of your “free trade” theories disintegrate when they are not truly employed. The crony capitalists running our economy are disingenuous negotiators on behalf of America’s trade interests.
Why I have to explain this to you is beyond me. It is like me having to explain to Bernie Sanders supporters that it isn’t CAPITALISM that is evil, it is CRONY CAPITALISM that is evil.
If you deviate from the theory, change the parameters too much, then you will deviate from the benefits that theory would bring. (assuming the theory is correct)
The quadratic equation, for example, works well until you get to something where b^2 - 4ac is a negative number.
Corn to cars, swimming pools to semiconductors.
You'll find that compared to the 1950s, we make much more of it today than we did then, and with lots fewer workers.
The wily Chinee may have taken a few jobs away, but a whole lot more were taken by W.E. Deming (look him up) and Robbie the Robot.
Sounds like you have a problem with government. I’ll bet you like being able to go to the store and buy products and services that meet your needs. That being a fact, I can’t imagine you wanting to dictate to others what’s in their best interest. But here you are.
Put a 35% tariff on foreign cars and watch GM/Ford/Chrysler kick back, pop a brew and go back to making good cars on Wednesdays and Thursdays only. Remember the Vega? The Pinto?
We have the example of pickup trucks. Imported, they still have a 25% tariff. Is the lack of smaller and cheaper pickups a price worth paying for the claimed benefits to Americans?
You know what, you’ve convinced me one-side free trade is a great thing for Americans.
Thus, I propose we begin selling Uranium 235 and krytons to the Islamic State. What they will export, I am not sure, but there exists the potential for a trade surplus for us.
Cool, so Robbie the Robot kneecapped the American worker, and you propose letting the Chinese hold an AK47 to the American worker and finish him with a headshot?
LOL.
What do you propose to do with all the increasingly unemployed and underemployed people down the road?
I suppose you would support the expansion of Homeland Security, to prevent them from rebelling?
The elites are the ones with a monopoly on wealth and power. You know, the people like Warren Buffet and George Soros and Michael Bloomberg.
They are the ones trying to dictate to others what’s in their best interest. Like 32 oz sodas or gun control.
There is no difference between Big Government and Big Business. Anyone who can’t see that is a fool. That is why Hillary Clinton ridiculed Small Business as being “undercapitalized”.
Why should you care about millions of Chinese being lifted out of poverty?
The higher the purchasing power they have, the more of a market our goods have.
If you have nothing but poor broke people around the world, we have no markets to sell into.
That's actually a very good question.
Every major business in every country has very talented people working on how to produce more with fewer workers.
And they will continue to do so, because your retirement fund and mine are managed by people who seek out the companies who bring in the best bottom lines.
We need to seriously think about an economic model that works in a world where we can produce everything we are producing now (and more) with half the employees.
Trying to turn back the clock to the assembly lines of 1955 is not the answer.
And China is proving such a reliable market for our goods.
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