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Politics - Free Trade equals Fair Trade? - Page 2

I have to disagree with your thoughts about the trade unions.  The European Economic Community (EEC) was begun by France and Germany, both trade powerhouses.  NAFTA was pushed by the US (I pretty much disagree with it, BTW).

As far as output goes, the US far outpaces anyone in the world.  Our stupid politics have driven the prices up to the point where a lot of companies have to outsource the labor out of the country.  It certainly isn't pure economics.

By sending our manufacturing out of the country, we do provide opportunity.  Just as manufacturing in the US provides the best jobs, so do the manufacturing jobs we send out to Mexico, Indonesia, or Taiwan.  Yes, from the perspective of the US, it is exploitation (and it probably is).  However, it does give the people who live in these impoverished areas money to buy food.  It provides jobs.  It provides training.

This does NOT apply to China.  China takes people who are highly trained in (or not), and makes them slaves to provide the labor under extremely harsh conditions.

I agree about Mexico.  However, I think that anything that brings honest cash into an economy is (generally) a good thing for everyone.  We have a sister plant in Mexico, making the same transmissions that we do.  The people who work there at least have good jobs, earning a lot more money than most of their peers.  And since they are associated with the largest industrial company in the world, they have high technology, access to incredible training resources, and the opportunity to learn and practice some of the most advanced manufacturing techniques.

Since my gear manufacturing area is a direct copy of theirs, I just pity their engineers  8)  who have to keep it running.

NightHawk

Trade Fair equals Trade Free Politics

While I have a lot more to learn about economics, one of the people I like to learn from is Walter Williams. Here is a link to his most recent column.

https://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=35834

NightHawk

Politics - Free Trade equals Fair Trade? History & Civil Business Politics

That is just it... is it honest? I think not.

Page 2 Trade Fair equals Trade Free Politics

U.S. shrimpers fight cheap-imports flood
Eight-state group files a petition against dumping

By Cain Burdeau
ASSOCIATED PRESS
January 1, 2004

NEW ORLEANS - After enduring years of plummeting prices, American shrimpers filed an antidumping petition yesterday seeking to get the government to impose tariffs on cheap, pond-raised shrimp from overseas.

The petition was filed with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the International Trade Commission in Washington, D.C., by the Southern Shrimp Alliance, an eight-state group made up of shrimpers and processors from South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico states.

The group claims the value of the U.S. harvest dropped by more than half between 2000 and 2002 - from $1.25 billion to $560 million - and that there was a 40 percent drop in employment at Southern shrimp factories.

https://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20040101-9999_1b1shrimp.html
Free trade is *not* always fair. And when you talk about the U.S. or other countries looking for cheap labor outside its borders -- or "outsourcing" -- you find that many many jobs (at least in the U.S.) have been completely eliminated. This is a scary prospect, especially for those in strictly customer service positions or "call centers." Thousands, tens of thousands, of these jobs have left the U.S. completely in the past couple of years.\

Roz

Trade Fair equals Trade Free Politics

Maybe I am just a bit paranoid but to me the idea that everyone wants to 'open up' to let everyone travel and do business freely in a certain geographic area seems scarry. I have some meager competition in my trade, when it opens up I have to compete with 10 other countries as well. Only if I am the adventurous type will I then decide to go into the other guy's country to also reap the benefits. In other words, in gives room for big guys, but not the small.

Politics - Free Trade equals Fair Trade?

I think trade is fair when it is truly free. When governmental "bodies" start getting involved they will inavriably favour one country or set of countries over another. The best way to keep things fair is to have independence, to decentralise rather than centralise.

As someone who lives in a country that has the EU breathing down our necks (and who has studied the EU) let me say that it is utterly corrupt. Leaving aside the tyrannical structure and laws and philosophy, it is financially fraudulent. Billions have gone missing, auditors have not signed the EU's accounts off in at least 8 years running and the latest whistleblower reported the handover of many funds to certain groups including the PLO and Hamas (many of the EU leaders are connected with the Mafia and the former KGB).

In 1999 the whole Commission (the Executive (but not elected!)) "resigned" over corruption charges - but most of them still carried on on their role despite the resignation.

It all started off, we were told, as a simple "Common Market" (i.e. not political) but records show that this was never in the minds of its engineers. Political union and the destruction of the nation state were always the real goal. Records show this to be irefutably so.

So keep politics out of trade and beware of NAFTA - it will probably change from economic to political very soon...



Dubhdara.

Politics Free Trade equals Fair Trade - Page 2

True. What concerns me is the general population agreeing to this. Is it that they are just ignorant of economics or is it that they simply do not care. I can tell you that I was truly amazed when the UK accepted to be in the EU - I was dumbfounded actually. Recent remarks by the Italian President show their disfavor of Britain already.

Politics Free Trade equals Fair Trade Politics Business Civil & History - Page 2

From what I can see, the UK did NOT accept being in the UK. The elites in government have obligated the country to be involved, but as far as I know, the people have rejected it soundly whenever they have had a chance to vote. Even last week, in the EU elections, the anti-EU parties throughout Europe got a surprising number of votes.

I think it is a mixture of the people not understanding the basics of economics (I know my understanding is severly lacking), and a lot of apathy.