What does "free trade" do to the USA?
Here is the way it works in the USA : The USA allows virtually anything to be imported without any tariffs which means that foreign suppliers can ship in any kind of goods at much lower prices than suppliers in the USA can ever hope to match. While goods made in the USA are usually too expensive to have any hope of selling overseas, or at least not in large quantities.
So the USA has lost entire industries such as textiles, consumer electronics, tools, household goods, and miscellaneous gadgets, etc.
Other USA industries have been hit hard with heavy competition and loss of sales to foreign companies.
So what is the solution?
The solution is to scrap free trade and start doing fair trade. What I mean by fair trade is that goods shipped into the USA either must be priced at a level that USA industries can compete on an equal basis, or import duties (tariffs or taxes) will be imposed on the foreign supplier's goods until their equivalent cost per unit is adjusted to the point where USA industries have a fair chance to compete and produce equivalent merchandise.
Why should we have fair trade?
Because, our first priority should be to help our own manufacturing base grow to provide more jobs for people. With our present very slow recovery and 7.4% unemployment, we need this boost.
It should no longer be our business to sacrifice ourselves to assist third world countries. We have plenty of our own problems with decaying infrastructure and lost manufacturing capability.
Another factor to consider is that when our manufacturing base is weak, we lose technology and the ability to respond to emergencies, military or otherwise.
So tell me if I am wrong. Should we have free trade or fair trade?
Here is the way it works in the USA : The USA allows virtually anything to be imported without any tariffs which means that foreign suppliers can ship in any kind of goods at much lower prices than suppliers in the USA can ever hope to match. While goods made in the USA are usually too expensive to have any hope of selling overseas, or at least not in large quantities.
So the USA has lost entire industries such as textiles, consumer electronics, tools, household goods, and miscellaneous gadgets, etc.
Other USA industries have been hit hard with heavy competition and loss of sales to foreign companies.
So what is the solution?
The solution is to scrap free trade and start doing fair trade. What I mean by fair trade is that goods shipped into the USA either must be priced at a level that USA industries can compete on an equal basis, or import duties (tariffs or taxes) will be imposed on the foreign supplier's goods until their equivalent cost per unit is adjusted to the point where USA industries have a fair chance to compete and produce equivalent merchandise.
Why should we have fair trade?
Because, our first priority should be to help our own manufacturing base grow to provide more jobs for people. With our present very slow recovery and 7.4% unemployment, we need this boost.
It should no longer be our business to sacrifice ourselves to assist third world countries. We have plenty of our own problems with decaying infrastructure and lost manufacturing capability.
Another factor to consider is that when our manufacturing base is weak, we lose technology and the ability to respond to emergencies, military or otherwise.
So tell me if I am wrong. Should we have free trade or fair trade?
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