limited protectionism vs free trade globalization

[osusev]

This is mainly pointed at Tupa and Aloy but anyone can obviously chime in.

 

I wanted to know what in your opinion the next administration (Obama in all likelyhood) should do about Nafta and some of our problems with China and India.

[Guest Aloysius]

I'll let Toop respond/vent his frustrations first.

[osusev]

Ok aloy Ill go first.

 

I dont have a problem with FAIR free trade agreements with countries that practice normal currency free market influenced values.

 

Commodities like natural gas produced within the U.S. should be sold FIRST at fair free market value within the U.S.

 

I hope that national organizations should start advertising along with the U.S. government to U.S. consumers to buy domestic products before they buy foreign because it provides a positive loop back cycle within our own economy.

[Guest Aloysius]

bump.

 

(Sorry, Sev - my brain's too fried for this right now.)

[osusev]

no big deal, I threw out some real basic garbage anyways.

[We need Tom Tupa]

I cant say I know all of NAFTAs dirty details, but I would probably leave it alone. Fair trade means different things to different people, but the best version is everyone getting to sell their goods to whomever they want for whatever price they want (with the same legal structure that's in place for American transactions). That sounds fair to me. Beyond NAFTA, I'll be interested to see if a Dem Prez and Congress ignore recent attempts at trade agreements with countries like Colombia.

 

Presidents can continue to pay lip service to Chinese currency valuation, but I dont think a change in their currency would have the positive effects most hope for. The result would be higher prices for goods here in America and probably not much of a change in our trade balance; the US isnt the next cheapest place to do business. Our imported goods would just come from somewhere else, and we would export jobs to a cheaper country. I dont see much value there.

 

I'm not a big fan of spending more for American made goods. In the short run, it does help to prop up some American companies, but, in the long run, it leads to a less efficient economy where we are giving resources to businesses that arent the best use of resources, and our consumers are getting less for their money.

[Westside Steve]

First thing is to figure out why things manufactured elsewhere are attractive to consumers.

Cost variety and quality. Period.

It's been a long time since "made in Japan Korea or China" meant crap.

So what drives up the cost of US goods?

Taxes tarrifs regulations and unions.

 

I'd be leery of improvement if rumors of Dick Gephart returning are true.

 

Even health care!

(If Americans can be happy with the reduced care available elsewhere and it doesn't come DIRECTLY out of corporate earnings......)

WSS