[Willie Green]

Export Illusions: Most International Trade Agreements are about Investment, Not Exports

[KevinDavis]

What do you suggest force people to buy american only? Close the borders?

[r9etb]

If the whole wide world was one big happy economy this sort of stuff wouldn't bother me. But China isn't particularly friendly. I don't particularly enjoy the tendency of big corporations to outsource their basic manufacturing capabilities to our largest potential military rival.

[dark_lord]

I've suggested elsewhere we classify corporations as American or non-American for tax purposes, where an American corporation (regardless of where incorporated) would be defined as one where 60% or more of the corporate workforce is American. American companies would get a lower tax rate, non-American a higher tax rate. Keep total aggregate corporate taxation the same.

Result - those smaller American businesses (which create most of the jobs) get a tax break. They have a lower operating cost. So they can afford to pay their workers more, or hire more workers, or invest in capital equipment -- any of which are net positives.

Any corporation, regardless of where incorporated, with fewer than 60% American workers would be classified as non-American for tax purposes and would be taxed at a higher rate. Thus the inflow of taxes to the federal government remains the same. I am sure the "all taxes are evil" crowd will knock this idea, but does anyone have any comments?

[Voltage]

I don't see the problem. Can't we all get jobs as lawyers, accountants, regulators and government employees? After all there are still plenty of productive businesses we can crush!

[Shermy]

Usual game. Promise "enforcement" of rules, don't come through, Republicrat China lobbyists urge defunding of inspectors, high short-term profits for the businesses, but undercut in the long term US consumer/wage earner power.

"Free Trade" is for the elites, not us.

[hove]

I wonder what the unions didn't get about "globalism". I think they thought labor was in the catbird seat, and they could make what ever demands on business they wanted. And that created a situation where it became irresistable for manufacturers to set up shop in the third world. Throw in repressive government regulation and it became a no brainer. The fact is, there is a huge labor vacuum in the world. Globalization takes advantage of that vacuum. The corporations and their stock holders do well. They can sell products cheaper and still come out good. That is if people are buying. But the new wealth created is no longer shared with American laborors through blue collar jobs. America is becoming a service economy. That is NOT good for Americans....labor...unions...or government. But what did they expect? They should have seen the writing on the wall.

[Leisler]

Americans don't want to take math, physics, engineering, computer science, chemistry, business. Asians, Indians, Chinese do. Guess what, they win. Therefore ala, Willie Green and the rest of the shuffle footed hand out where's my job for life crew, those Asians people are evil.

[GrandMoM]

. "China is the most conspicuous offender in this regard and is emerging as the primary threat to many of our core industries."....this is happening in the pool table industry also. They are selling tables out of homes, hotels and internet. After 31 years in the business, they have rivaled our sales of low end tables.

What consumers don't realize is that they must pay shipping cost and find a company to assemble the unfamiliar tables so, end result is they cost buyers more . Still, it was suggested by the American manufactures that we discontinue low end tables.

[meyer]

Of all the issues, I beleive that regulation and tort are the most damaging to our own industrial base. Look at the asbestos fiasco. The tobacco fiasco. The coming fast-foods fiasco. Look at the racial quota fiasco. Look at the OSHA "carpal-tunnel" fiasco. Look at the econazi fiasco. Over-regulation and hyper-tort are killing us.