Isolationism and Protectionism... (unemployment, fast food, wages, generations)
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The United States of America was founded with this in mind. The founders made it known that the US should avoid excessive entanglement in the affairs of other countries.
Corporations in the US and of course most of the governments of the other world obviously fear this happening. The provision in the economic stimulus plan is being removed that stated steel and other construction goods had to be purchased from the US.
Most economist support globalization. I understand the arguments for or against... i'm no economist, but I don't think isolationism would be bad for the US.
With the exception of oil (and if researched better methods to extract oil shale, etc... there would be no exception) most everything we need can be supplied here. We have vast lands and resources, and see no reason not to support ourselves.
Prices would go up, but so would jobs. Think of the immediate need to fill jobs in the US for manufacturing and even tech jobs that have been lost to India.
I've heard the argument that many corporations are worried of losing money because of how other countries would respond... people say those corporations would pack up and leave the US. This may be true for some, but I really don't think it would have a negative effect if we are supplying ourselves. Supply and demand. A corporation that supplies a product may leave, but the demand doesn't go away and someone will pop up ready to take care of that demand.
I'm not against trade of certain goods, but I am against us having walmart sell tons of cheap stuff from China that could be made here but would be more expensive. Would it really hurt if it cost more? At the same time i'm against unions that will artificially inflate wages.
I don't like our current "global economy" our country shouldn't be dependent on what is going on in other countries.
Free trade has it's strengths in allowing each country to do what it does best and people to benefit from it, but with places like India and China where wages are different and people have low standards of living, the playing field is not even.
You are exactly Language! DUH! (removed) right. With the nation’s debt and deficit we should be much more proactive in evening up the deficit and putting more factories back to work here in the US.
Unfortunately, lawmakers and politicians are oblivious to the obvious.
Quote:
Originally Posted by skrazzle
Free trade has it's strengths in allowing each country to do what it does best and people to benefit from it, but with places like India and China where wages are different and people have low standards of living, the playing field is not even.
Not too worry, their standard of living will increase as they develop therefore making it more expensive for them to compete overseas. However, by the time that happens we will have a trade deficit 2 or 3 times what it is now....i would think.
Last edited by atlantagreg30127; 02-05-2009 at 08:44 AM..
You are exactly Language! DUH! (removed) right. With the nation’s debt and deficit we should be much more proactive in evening up the deficit and putting more factories back to work here in the US.
Unfortunately, lawmakers and politicians are oblivious to the obvious.
Not too worry, their standard of living will increase as they develop therefore making it more expensive for them to compete overseas. However, by the time that happens we will have a trade deficit 2 or 3 times what it is now....i would think.
Yeah I realize that happens with time... but time isn't on our side. And even though eventually they will reach that level and free trade would then be more beneficial, it still is no reason to risk American jobs... not when we have the means to support ourselves.
The United States of America was founded with this in mind. The founders made it known that the US should avoid excessive entanglement in the affairs of other countries.
Corporations in the US and of course most of the governments of the other world obviously fear this happening. The provision in the economic stimulus plan is being removed that stated steel and other construction goods had to be purchased from the US.
Most economist support globalization. I understand the arguments for or against... i'm no economist, but I don't think isolationism would be bad for the US.
With the exception of oil (and if researched better methods to extract oil shale, etc... there would be no exception) most everything we need can be supplied here. We have vast lands and resources, and see no reason not to support ourselves.
Prices would go up, but so would jobs. Think of the immediate need to fill jobs in the US for manufacturing and even tech jobs that have been lost to India.
I've heard the argument that many corporations are worried of losing money because of how other countries would respond... people say those corporations would pack up and leave the US. This may be true for some, but I really don't think it would have a negative effect if we are supplying ourselves. Supply and demand. A corporation that supplies a product may leave, but the demand doesn't go away and someone will pop up ready to take care of that demand.
I'm not against trade of certain goods, but I am against us having walmart sell tons of cheap stuff from China that could be made here but would be more expensive. Would it really hurt if it cost more? At the same time i'm against unions that will artificially inflate wages.
I don't like our current "global economy" our country shouldn't be dependent on what is going on in other countries.
Free trade has it's strengths in allowing each country to do what it does best and people to benefit from it, but with places like India and China where wages are different and people have low standards of living, the playing field is not even.
The problem with that today is we import almost everything we use. We now have a generation that has never known a world without disposable eating utensils, shrinkwrapped goods, and fast-food packaging. These are the type things that will be the casualties of the economic power down in China.
I am certain I will miss the disposable utinsils (carry your own), shrink wrapped goods (bring your own bag) and fast food (make your own at home and carry it to work). These are very inefficient ways of providing the function. They cost money without benefit and would not be missed by me. They would be missed by some of our pamperd consumers but they would get used to it.
The problem with that today is we import almost everything we use. We now have a generation that has never known a world without disposable eating utensils, shrinkwrapped goods, and fast-food packaging. These are the type things that will be the casualties of the economic power down in China.
They're also the type of things we should be able to do without. If we must eat with a plastic fork, there is no reason we can't make them here.
We need more regulation on imported goods. With those regulations, they will open up tremendous market opportunities here in the US. Yes, cost of goods will go up some, but what's the alternative? 11% unemployment? I would rather pay a little extra to have families who have both parents working if they so choose and children who grow up without previous generations mounting debt.
It's very easy, and we will almost have to see some amount of nationalization or a good dose of socialism in some industries to accomplish these goals.
You are exactly Language! DUH! (removed) right. With the nation’s debt and deficit we should be much more proactive in evening up the deficit and putting more factories back to work here in the US.
Unfortunately, lawmakers and politicians are oblivious to the obvious.
Not too worry, their standard of living will increase as they develop therefore making it more expensive for them to compete overseas. However, by the time that happens we will have a trade deficit 2 or 3 times what it is now....i would think.
They are not oblivious, I cannot believe they are that stupid. Too many people have become very rich off of these screwed up trade policies. Just look at parasitic WalMart and stores like it. As long as idiotic Americans do not see that they are cutting off their nose to spite their face by shopping in these places and not demanding American made or fair trade goods, we are fighting a losing battle. We need government intervention to stop this obnoxious importing of China's junk and poison!
The problem with that today is we import almost everything we use. We now have a generation that has never known a world without disposable eating utensils, shrinkwrapped goods, and fast-food packaging. These are the type things that will be the casualties of the economic power down in China.
But none of those things are stuff we can't make here.
They're also the type of things we should be able to do without. If we must eat with a plastic fork, there is no reason we can't make them here.
We need more regulation on imported goods. With those regulations, they will open up tremendous market opportunities here in the US. Yes, cost of goods will go up some, but what's the alternative? 11% unemployment? I would rather pay a little extra to have families who have both parents working if they so choose and children who grow up without previous generations mounting debt.
It's very easy, and we will almost have to see some amount of nationalization or a good dose of socialism in some industries to accomplish these goals.
I agree... my personal opinion is the transportation industry should be nationalized. With a good US rail system, and local lightrail/subways in every major city. Same with oil.
I've also thought communication industry, but really I wouldn't feel comfortible with out government having control of that, even though ISPs and phone companies seem to just hand over private info to them all the time already....
There is no need for plastic forks and fast food, etc to go away, we can make it here... personally if we were responsible for more things here I think it would spur even more innovation among US citizens.
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