Like a Cloud, Economic Woes Follow Bus Tour

The New York Times ^ | August 4, 2003 | ELISABETH BUMILLER

[Texas_Dawg]

First, we need fair trade, not the totally open anarchist "free trade" that we have now.

Huh? Bush passed massive steel tariffs and farm subsidies. You should be happy.

[Texas_Dawg]

Embargoes.

Haha. What? The entire rest of the world was free to take its sugar.

[Cacophonous]

How much sugar do they bring to the US?

[Texas_Dawg]

How much sugar do they bring to the US?

Now surely you aren't trying to argue that Cuba's economy and sugar industry is a total failure because of the evil United States... I hope.

[Cacophonous]

No, in fact they have the fourth biggest sugar industry in the world; it accounts for 52% of their exports. Some dropping sugar prices and constant hurricanes are threatening that. Cuba's never been a threat, even as inefficient as they are. They simply lack the human and natural resources to be a threat.

BUT THEY DON'T CONTROL THE US MARKET.

And that's the only one I'm concerned about.

[Texas_Dawg]

No, in fact they have the fourth biggest sugar industry in the world; it accounts for 52% of their exports.

Haha. I'm sure it does. And it's a total disaster. Much like the U.S. would be far, far worse off if our manufacturing was 52% of our exports still.

[Cacophonous]

So we were worse off when we exported more than we imported? When we made our own goods? When other people paid us to make things for them?

How did that make us worse off?

[Texas_Dawg]

So we were worse off when we exported more than we imported? When we made our own goods? When other people paid us to make things for them? How did that make us worse off?</i?

Do you know what our GDP was then? Do you know what the average income was? Do you know how much the average car cost as a percentage of the average household income?

Yes, economically speaking, we were much worse off then. Which isn't to say we were ever as bad as some other places, but we are much, much better economically now. And getting better.

[cc2k]

Well, the steel tarriffs might have been a necessary evil. I'm not real happy about the farm bill, either.

But this administration has missed some opportunities to stimulate job creation in the USA.

For example, the tax break for trucks and SUV's. Why wasn't that deduction made available only for trucks and SUV's made in the USA? I heard a commercial for Mercedes touting which Mercedes SUV's are eligible for the tax break.

And why not a deduction for interest on car loans used to buy American built automobiles (even Toyota Camries and Honda Accords that are built in the USA).

There are lots of things that can be done that don't involve raising trade barriers to other countries. We can reward people for supporting their neighbors and buying U.S. made goods, too.