Comments on: Free-Trade Hypocrisy http://www.intellectualconservative.com/2007/04/30/free-trade-hypocrisy/ Conservative and Libertarian Intellectual Philosophy and Politics Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:00:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: audriana http://www.intellectualconservative.com/2007/04/30/free-trade-hypocrisy/comment-page-1/#comment-51569 audriana Tue, 01 May 2007 06:09:58 +0000 http://www.intellectualconservative.com/2007/04/21/free-trade-hypocrisy/#comment-51569 Well, Patrick, I'm right behind you. These are a lot of the exact same thoughts I had while reading this article. I don't like to think that makes me a liberal. Another problem is in cases like China, where the Chinese government artificially manipulates the exchange rate so that the yuan appears to be depressed, even when it isn't. The U.S. treasury doesn't admit openly to knowing this, but they hint that they know it's happening. So because of this, they are attracting (stealing) jobs from American companies, and furthermore, this practice encourages exports from China, and greatly discourages imports. That's not good for anyone except the Chinese government, and is that the way we want this to work? Well, Patrick, I’m right behind you. These are a lot of the exact same thoughts I had while reading this article. I don’t like to think that makes me a liberal.

Another problem is in cases like China, where the Chinese government artificially manipulates the exchange rate so that the yuan appears to be depressed, even when it isn’t. The U.S. treasury doesn’t admit openly to knowing this, but they hint that they know it’s happening. So because of this, they are attracting (stealing) jobs from American companies, and furthermore, this practice encourages exports from China, and greatly discourages imports. That’s not good for anyone except the Chinese government, and is that the way we want this to work?

]]> By: Patrick Mulligan http://www.intellectualconservative.com/2007/04/30/free-trade-hypocrisy/comment-page-1/#comment-50353 Patrick Mulligan Sun, 22 Apr 2007 14:49:49 +0000 http://www.intellectualconservative.com/2007/04/21/free-trade-hypocrisy/#comment-50353 While I certainly agree about the motivations of unionists to strong-arm profits from corporations, I don't see how "free trade" agreements, like NAFTA, have had such glorious benefit to the United States. I don't understand why conservatives consistently have supported such agreements. On the one hand, what unions do does inflate the price of labor, but at the same time, should American workers be penalized for enjoying a higher standard of living and higher wages than workers in third world countries? Essentially what happens in "free trade" is that U.S. companies are able to source labor and other essentials from countries where an American dollar is practically worth a bag of gold. Now what bothers me about that is not that these companies are "taking advantage of the poor", but that American workers are then somehow expected to compete with people who are capable of living on $5 American for a week. The benefit is lopsided. Profits are fantastic and everything, but then what do you do with those people who aren't educated, or ambitious or intelligent enough to hold skilled jobs and consume the goods being produced in Mexico, India, China, Thailand, etc. If you did away with global price ceilings and floors (like the American federal minimum wage, which is up to nearly $8 an hour now) and currency discrepancies, then you would have an even playing field and I'd be the first to champion free trade. But as it is it seems that there is little that's "free" about "free trade". Another non-economic factor that weighs against "free trade" to me is security. The instability of global affairs hardly needs pointing out, I wouldn't think, so it seems to me that allowing entire sectors of your economy to be controlled by foreign interests is a very foolish and dangerous move. I'm sure no one needs reminding of our extreme trade imbalances with nations like Japan and China. A coup in either country that brings with it a deranged new leader with a hatred for the United States and you can take 7 trillion dollars out of the American economy. Despite the assurances of economists, that's a very real possibility. We assume that no rational nation would ever do that, as the economic impact on their own country would be devastating as well. And that assumption is correct. The only flaw is in assuming that rational people will always be at the helm. I'm not trying at all to be combative or inflaming, but I would really like to see those issues addressed by the conservative free trade camp. While I certainly agree about the motivations of unionists to strong-arm profits from corporations, I don’t see how “free trade” agreements, like NAFTA, have had such glorious benefit to the United States. I don’t understand why conservatives consistently have supported such agreements. On the one hand, what unions do does inflate the price of labor, but at the same time, should American workers be penalized for enjoying a higher standard of living and higher wages than workers in third world countries? Essentially what happens in “free trade” is that U.S. companies are able to source labor and other essentials from countries where an American dollar is practically worth a bag of gold. Now what bothers me about that is not that these companies are “taking advantage of the poor”, but that American workers are then somehow expected to compete with people who are capable of living on $5 American for a week. The benefit is lopsided. Profits are fantastic and everything, but then what do you do with those people who aren’t educated, or ambitious or intelligent enough to hold skilled jobs and consume the goods being produced in Mexico, India, China, Thailand, etc. If you did away with global price ceilings and floors (like the American federal minimum wage, which is up to nearly $8 an hour now) and currency discrepancies, then you would have an even playing field and I’d be the first to champion free trade. But as it is it seems that there is little that’s “free” about “free trade”. Another non-economic factor that weighs against “free trade” to me is security. The instability of global affairs hardly needs pointing out, I wouldn’t think, so it seems to me that allowing entire sectors of your economy to be controlled by foreign interests is a very foolish and dangerous move. I’m sure no one needs reminding of our extreme trade imbalances with nations like Japan and China. A coup in either country that brings with it a deranged new leader with a hatred for the United States and you can take 7 trillion dollars out of the American economy. Despite the assurances of economists, that’s a very real possibility. We assume that no rational nation would ever do that, as the economic impact on their own country would be devastating as well. And that assumption is correct. The only flaw is in assuming that rational people will always be at the helm.

I’m not trying at all to be combative or inflaming, but I would really like to see those issues addressed by the conservative free trade camp.

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