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Posted 02/03/09 09:55 AM Andrew Ward Arlington, VA | Thanks to member JUSTINW1 for the tip!
http://www.campaignforliberty.com/blog.php?view=9915 |
Posted 02/03/09 10:50 AM Flips Brelingen, Germany | isn't it more of the same?
isn't it a subsidy for the companys that cannot compete in a free market? probably there are 1000 reasons to use products that were manufactured in foreign countrys, but this bill won't solve them. the government buys a short delay, thats it. |
| Posted 02/03/09 11:14 AM BBLiberty Pekin, IL | We can buy whatever from whoever we want to. The EU should not be dictating American policy. Between the porkulus bill and this, Obama is looking more and more foolish every day. |
| Posted 02/03/09 11:17 AM Alan Burton Ormond Beach, FL | It looks like Mr. Obama will have to veto the Stimulus Bill because it is a protectionist bill, similar to the Smoot-Hawly Tariff Act Bill in 1930. And Europe retaliated and reduced trade during the Depression. I wonder if the EU would react to this Stimulus Bill similarly? |
Posted 02/03/09 11:29 AM Fu Manchu Belleville, MI | Call me an isolationist, but I feel part of the reason we are in a recession is because people in this country haven't been supporting American made things, and we let our jobs just keep going else where. Instead of sticking together and using our dollars as our voice, we bought foreign made products, paving the way for other company's to flee. We didn't do it alone, but we the people are part of the reason we're in this mess. Have we learned anything yet? Are we ready to support each other, and our JOBS by sticking to American made products? I can only hope so. |
Posted 02/03/09 11:44 AM greghildreth CUMBERLAND, MD | I agree that noone should dictate American policy except America. But I also believe the American government should not dictate where American businesses spend thier money.
Of course the looter will never ask the looted what they think anyway. |
Posted 02/03/09 12:18 PM DA521 Fair Lawn, NJ | Fu Manchu (and others),
Oh no no! This is "protectionism", which is intervening in the free market. This is nothing but a subsidy at the expense of consumers. They are "forcing" you to pay higher prices for artificially subsidizing less efficient companies. Morally, they are dictating to you where and from who to buy. Shouldn't that be your choice, as a free man? Economically, it’s a disaster. You loose jobs in the long run! By buying cheaper goods overseas, you and I have more purchasing power. The extra money in our pockets will stimulate and create other jobs, so in the long run we get more goods produced for the same amount of money. We are all wealthier! This is how an economy grows by constantly changing and becoming more efficient. This is nothing more then Unions trying to save jobs or keep wages from falling for a very small amount of workers, at the expense of the rest of us. You don't run an economy like this. Conclusion: Protectionism is a tax on consumers, impedes economic growth, and makes us poorer. The jobs that are saved in the short run become unsecured and fully dependent on the subsidy! The economics behind "protectionism" are based on the worst fallacies. It is “economics” for special interests, and it is anti-consumer choice. What else would you expect from our government? |
Posted 02/03/09 12:32 PM bigsal31 brooklyn, NY | Yes foreign goods are cheaper and we would be able to buy more with the same amount of money. Perhaps American industries should try to compete more on the international level. Unions and unfavorable trade laws really hinder or effort to compete globally....
As for Europe, they should mind there own F***ing business. Nobody but americans should dictate whats good for America. (I feel the same about america telling others what to do as well....) |
| Posted 02/03/09 12:52 PM Fu Manchu Belleville, MI | DA521: I don't follow your logic. Can you explain to me how buying cheaper goods from overseas will stimulate the economy? I see it as, buying cheaper goods from overseas = cheaper product ie you just bought a piece of garbage, also it puts American workers out of jobs. How can America even have an economy if everything we buy is from overseas? I think we are seeing this now. We buy more and more crap from places like China, American company's either go out of business or follow suit and move shop overseas and people lose jobs. When people lose jobs, they stop buying things, hence the "Global Economic Crisis". In my opinion, we would be much better off if we kept everything "in house". |
| Posted 02/03/09 1:09 PM Flips Brelingen, Germany | fu manchu: if you would need a new car, would you buy an american car (big 3) on principle or would you choose the car with the best technology and the lowest price? |
| Posted 02/03/09 1:11 PM DA521 Fair Lawn, NJ | Fu Manchu,
The answer to all of this is actually in the "Education" section of this website. Here is the chapter on Tariffs from "Economics in One Lesson", by Henry Hazzlit http://jim.com/econ/chap11p1.html But I recommend you read the whole book. You can also get the hard cover at mises.org (for $12). If it's a piece of garbage, then you obviously don't buy it. What ever "crap" we buy is a result of consumer choice. A free market is driven by individual choice, since the producer must meet your needs in order to compete and make a profit. Trust me on this, any "Global Economic Crisis" is a result of government interventions and not free markets (and free trade) |
| Posted 02/03/09 1:13 PM Fu Manchu Belleville, MI | I agree that government intervention is the biggest reason we're in this mess.
Thanks for the reading links, I will check them out. |
| Posted 02/03/09 1:18 PM Fu Manchu Belleville, MI | Flips: Technology and cars are two things that don't mix well, in my opinion. Maybe I'm old school, but I don't like all the computer garbage they put on cars now, let alone what might be on the horizon. So for me it would be the car that was simple. Big engine, the more power the better, along with the obvious things like how well it handles, etc. Price is obviously a factor as well, I will only buy what I can afford, it only makes sense. So far every car I have ever owned has been an American car company, built right here in America. People driving around in their Honda's and Toyota's, filling up at the pump next to me actually have the audacity to bitch about the economy... I want to hit them in the mouth every time. |
Posted 02/03/09 1:23 PM schlegsb Fairborn, OH | Historically, long term view, protectionism is very bad for a country. It allows in-nation countries to bump prices up a little, become complacent and non-innovative all while still getting fat. The companies that have to compete from the outside will have to innovate to actually make a better product at a better price. It's just how any job with job security allows the individual to slack instead of working hard to keep his job.
I can see how people might think the opposite would happen, but in practice, it does not. |
Posted 02/03/09 2:24 PM manding Los Gatos, CA | Tariffs and "Buy Local" laws also have a long history of starting wars. It was one on the main driving forces behind the Southern States seceding from the Union. Tariffs had a major impact on the Great Depression. History is littered with destructive effects of attempts to restrict trade. They all sounded good but didn't work out. |
| Posted 02/03/09 2:52 PM Two-if-by-Sea Wakefield, MA | the protectionist debate aside, i just can't stand it when other countries try to form policies for us. why the heck did we join the WTO in the first place?? |
Posted 02/03/09 4:54 PM Andrew Sica Woodbury, CT | The mises institute (not surprisingly) has a lot to say about protectionism:
http://mises.org/story/2775 http://mises.org/rothbard/protectio nism.asp (etc, etc, etc). Protectionism only hurts the consumer and ultimately damages the marketplace. Look at what the steel tariffs did to the auto industry. |
Posted 02/03/09 5:20 PM deb4523 Valdez, AK | Part of the problem that very little is actually being produced here is because there are so many darn rules and fees for small businesses that you need high prices to stay in business, but then you can't price compete with something factory made. I had an illegal small chocolate company for two years or so. People loved them, but alas, to make the business legal, the prices would have been out of anyone's range. I would have had to (this was in southern CA):
rent a place (at least $2000/month where I was at) build a kitchen (we're talking $10,000-$20,000 for the equipment I'd need) pay all the local and state fees for a business pay for the kitchen to be licensed by the food safety people have insurance for the business in case anyone got sick etc. etc. etc. As it was, I was charging $4 for 4 chocolates just to cover costs and a small amount of my time. The stores were reselling for $8. I would have had to sell at least 2000 boxes of chocolates just to pay for rent and the ingredients/packaging. What about the other costs? It is too expensive to produce anything unless you already have a lot of money. No starting small and growing your business. In foreign countries, they don't have so many costs/rules (like actually being able to cook in your home) so they can offer lower prices... Get rid of the fees and american products will be more affordable and more people will purchase them. It doesn't have to be a law that we have to buy american! I want liberty! |
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