CAFTA

[Tom]

Bush's new. secret trade bill. Central American Fair Trade Agreement.
Trying to slip in it in the back door. Hmmmm.
Must be NAFTA is not costing us enough, he needs another outlet for jobs and cash.
NAFTA. So far it has cost several hundred thousand jobs and a 6 billion dollar trade defficit. So let's dig a deeper hole, George. Duh? :mad:

[Secretariat]

I hated Clinton's pushing of NAFTA down our throats, and I hate Bush's endorsement of it, and now this CAFTA. Good info below on it.

http://www.citizenstrade.org/cafta.php#Fact%20Sheets%20&%20Popular%20Materials

[Tom]

Well, I am wrinting my senators about this - Hillary and Schummer. Seems wierd that the only time I get any satisfaction on important issues is when I look to the democrates - the republicans are too busy falling in line behind Bush's convoy of crap.

[Kreed]

Tom (and others) do you think manufacturing is important? if so, should
the gov't help if it could?

[Tom]

Kreed, we pay farmers NOT to grow things. We pay people NOT to work. WE are trying to reward people for breaking our laws by illegally entering the country. Hell, why not do something that makes sense for once?
Manufacturing jobs are critical. Without manufacturing jobs, the US will not last. We are much closer to the same fate as the fall of the Soviet Union than we are to being a great nation. This country is in very serious trouble and we are not going to survive it. We are allowing China to break all fair trade laws and still bush is sucking up to them. His handling of the outsourcing of our jobs is grounds for impeachement, and in my mind, grounds for treason charges. NAFTA has done what the Nazis and Japs could not - it has waged war on our soil and it has beaten us soundly in every battle. Ross Perot was the last oracle of hope-since Clinton's election, this country has been going backwards.
That huge sucking sound Ross talked about is deafening today.

[Secretariat]

Tom,

We disagree on a lot, but this time we are in agreement 100% on this issue of NAFTA and CAFTA.

[Tom]

My motto is, "Make it there, sell it there. Don't bring it here."

[Equineer]

Tom,

We agree on the negative effects of current trade agreements, but I'm not sure we can turn back the clock.

Bad agreements really started when Nixon/Kissinger abandoned the Domino Theory, sought normalized relations with China, and we started using bilateral trading status and trade agreements to achieve ideological/political objectives.

Our trade negotiators have been trading economic concessions for political promises and concessions. As a result, we have been getting shortchanged economically (every year as sure as death and taxes) in return for political trade-offs that are difficult to monitor, are vulnerable to changeovers within foreign governments, and often seem to be delivered in the form of smoke and mirrors or mere lip service.

We should have focused solely on fair economic terms and conditions... but we didn't.

Furthermore, I think globalism has gone beyond the point of no return. Nationalism displaced colonialism, and globalism seems poised to displace nationalism.

I think our tolerance to porous borders reflects this trend, and our politicians in both parties are simply reluctant to articulate the truth.

The European Union seems to foreshadow the future... the global decline and fall of nationalism... whether we like it or not.

For example, against overwhelming popular opposition (70/30), the Australian government has decided to send a few hundred additional troops to Iraq, specifically to protect engineers and contractors from Japan, Australia's largest trading partner. Historically, of course, "Asians Need Not Apply" characterized Australian politics... but today, this attitude has totally flip-flopped. In response to the Tsunami, Australia reportedly pledged more aid per GNP dollar than any other nation. The leadership at the top of the Australian political pyramid is determined to ensure that Australia will not be excluded from a Pacifc Basin equivalent to the European Union.

[Tom]

Agree on China. No good has come from opening relations with them. There is no jsutificcatoin for having any relations at all with evil nation that trample on human rights. And then they turn around and violate trade laws, and we do nothing about it.
But, yes we can turn back the clock. We can do without everyting we import from anyone. It will be tough at first, but in the long run, we be better off.
A good place to start would be to grant huge tax breaks to transplant companies - thoise who build factories here and sell what they produce here, creating jobs for Americans. This will hurt foreign-based companies like Kodak, General Motors, Xerox, Ford, etc. Companies who have turned thier backs on America for profits. What I call traitor-companies. I would never, ever buy Kodak film - even though they are based 30 miles away from me.
Campanies like Honda, Toyota, Subaru - all are doing more for our economy that GM or Ford are lately. And their cars are FAR superior to GM crap.