Posted by
Tim Blessing on Friday, February 29, 2008 7:29:51 PM
Free Trade is an idealistic concept of College Professors and some Politicians.
I use to believe in it, but have come around to my own concept of trade, which I call guided trade.
That mean's we do business with those countries that are on the same level as us.
Western Europe, Japan, Canada, India, Russia, Australia, Brazil, Pakistan, Iran, and indirectly Mexico are our natural partners.
We do not as far as I know have a trade deal with France who is a natural partner to us.
We do from what I have heard is a trade agreement with Russia that is beginning to take effect. The Russians don't want Bush to get any of the credit for it.
Free Trade Theory suggest's that you produce and sell to me what you have in comparative advantage to me.
The problem has been that the countries we sign these deals with sell us their products and take our jobs, but don't invest here in the United States nor do they import our products.
We make high quality products, but our costs are much higher than say in Mexico.
The reason we do business with say Russia is they want to buy directly from our Manufacturers, while selling us natural resources.
In essence, we are pursuing free trade with Russia along the lines of our national interest, which is to get tangible benefits domestically without screwing ourselves.
Free Trade is an oxymoron, but trade and the national interest balancing our needs with our friends needs is a better way to do it.