by Ron (Administering the Clear Channel Fox news gullibility test, daily) W.
Member since:
September 6, 2006

Why Are Free-Market Economists Still Taken Seriously?

October 29, 2007 06:36 PM UTC (Updated: October 29, 2007 07:40 PM UTC)
views: 0 | comments: 54
   Every time I suggest that possibly free trade isn't the best system for providing a stable economy for the American Worker, I get a lot of Oh, you poor smuck, you know nothing about economics, there is no way protectionism ever works, etc., etc., pukety pukety, pukety. Well, BS, we spent a hell of a long time as the greatest economic power in the world, with just such a protectionist model, and a worker could actually count on employment, and here's the article to prove it, CLICK HERE.

Comments: 54

Charles T. Oct 29, 2007, 6:43pm UTC
despite the tariffs, overall this free trade sytem that we still partially retain delivers the biggest amount to the most peoepl of any system devised...if we did away with the steeper tariffs/slowed government spending/taxation then it would be even better
Oh, a db1 , what a surprise......... yawn
yeah, right, and the worker is the only one takes it in the shorts, as always. We've done free trade, maybe it's great for corporations, but it sucks for the American Worker, period.
I think the problem is that the US isn't in the economic driver's seat any more. Protectionism doesn't work so well when you don't manufacture anything.
And what do you mean still partially retain? Let's hear more from a Wal Mart man.
Well, Nippy, that's like saying we don't walk so well after someone cut our legs off.
Start a little protection, and there will be an impetus to reinvest in manufacturing here.
We are still the largest market in the world. The world sells to us, and if they can make it here and sell it cheaper than the competition, due to protectionism, someone will, I guarantee it.
That is the problem. We cut our own legs off. After WWII American business concentrated on the quarterly report and ignored capital investment. We'd be a lot better off now if business and industry had taken a longer view during the prosperity of the 50s.
Col. George W. Oct 29, 2007, 7:11pm UTC
Nippi, Why don't we produce much any more? Free Trade deals that are one-sided like NAFTA and CAFTA among others.

China ships anything and everything into the US duty free but charge us a big tarraf on good we ship to them. Therefore a big trade deficit.

It is not Free Trade as much as it is the wording of the agreements. The agreements usulally open our ports for import but do nothing to open the other country's ports to us. We wind up exporting Factories.
Col. George W. Oct 29, 2007, 7:13pm UTC
Well I see Lex Looser is back.
Charles T. Oct 29, 2007, 7:20pm UTC
I know Ron that you don't like to read some may disagree with you but the working man in America having his legs cut off is a bit of exaggeration isn't it?

The sytem you dispise so much outproduces anything ever created before. Even the poor in this country live longer and better than the rich of most of the world. By every measureable statistic, live in the US/West has gotten better. Look at how long people live now and how many hours you work for a gallon of milk or gas, the majority of Americans are homeowners and own at least one car etc. Its hard to discuss things like this with you because you have either had some rough times and or still are...but look around you, if things are so bad here how is the rest of the world doing?

Appealing to your dog for help is double teaming and I'm sure against the rules some where.
Sid like a true Wal mart man, Charles, you can say what ever you want, but the fact is, we see how free trade works, and it doesn't work for the american worker, it only works for the corporate bottom line. And you spout BS and still expect us to believe it? The middle class is soon going to be extinct, if we don't do anything. All these free trade agreements were supposed to lift the third world up to our standards, but in relity we are sinking to theirs, which is the point, in the first place, now isn't it? Corporations want the american worker on his knees, ready to accept third world wages, yet they want to sell to us till we get there. You aren't fooling anyoe that's paying attention anymore.
Please excuse the sticky keyboard.
I got Buddy muzzled, for now, lol
Speaking of needed muzzles, lol
Nanci B Oct 29, 2007, 7:45pm UTC
Why are liberals still taken seriously?
Because they don't have blinders on, Nancy. Have you not seen what is going on in this country? Well, I imagine you have few blue collar friends, though, I suppose, given your occupation.
Lex,
If you think I give a flying f$%k what you think of anything, you are even stupider than I thought you are. That's entirely possible, I admit, so go ahead, you're just demonstrating your immaturity, and that's fine with me.
" They are not really Nanci, they are only taken seriously by the other Liberals...aka "lemmings". They see their Buddy's hauling ass toward the cliff so they don't stop and think if it a good idea or not, they just follow the asshole in front of them."

Funny, substitute the identities, and this is exactly the way I described how we got into Iraq, a while back. Are you stealing my material?
Nanci B Oct 29, 2007, 7:58pm UTC
No blinders? Are you kidding? Have you watched things on TV lately? Have you listened to Chris Matthews? Bill Maher? No blinders? You need to take yours off.

And I do have blue collar friends. Most of them are conservatives though since they took their blinders off growing up and realized that the conservatives were doing a better job!
Great job the last six years. Yeah
We have now seen the conservative agenda given free reign for six years before the last election, and it has been a total failure. How can you even try to say that?
"that free market economics would lead to perfect equality."

Pardon me, but if I was a Vietnamese worker, making almost nothing, that's great news, if I was a middle class American, that's a disaster, period. Equality isn't a good thing from where we sit.
Thanks Lyndon
Smart move Lyndon, from experience I can tell you he isn't going to get any smarter as he goes along.
Thanks Lex, your next comment will make a ten you've given me.
each comment counts, Lexy, thanks
ModernDay Publius Oct 29, 2007, 11:12pm UTC
Just read this article. Sorry the where were you guys in the eighties when this "superior" Japanese system was going to overtake the United States then it crashed hard and fast. Free Markets are the best system right now. Competition improves products and prices. Overregulation ends in screwing consumers. Check it our when deregualtion occurs prices go down look at the cell phone market. When they were allowed to compete innovation came quickly and prices came down.
Sue * Oct 29, 2007, 11:55pm UTC
reading and rating...
Bill's Spirit Oct 30, 2007, 12:35am UTC
the optimist sees the doughnut,

the pessimist sees the hole,

the pragmatist orders a cup of coffee to go with it.



BTW - There's no such thing as a free market.
John Knight Oct 30, 2007, 1:18am UTC
Free markets no, fair markets yes.

Just kidding, always wondered what it was like to throw in a mindless blurb.

I think it's a tough question really. While on the one hand; capitalism is undoubtedly a great way to get much economic activity going, it is a hotbed for various forms of greed based social ills, and of course disproportionate power. There is a "snowball" effect, wherein wealth begets wealth, and begins to undermine the sense of fairness which citizens require to devote themselves to work. When a corporate big wig can "earn" more while playing a few hands of bridge, than many people who toil mightily, and even risk injury, earn in a week . . . it is not the worker who has lost sight of fairness.

When they see those same hyper-wealthy people "buy" themselves tax cuts, and make vast fortunes doing stuff like moving factories overseas . . . there comes a point where free market starts to sound a lot like serfdom. There are few things MORE disgusting than the sense of entitlement that many rich folk obviously feel.
I don't care for the price of your lower prices Publicless. You talk about it as if it was bugs losing jobs and outsourced jobs were poker chips. Of course, to you they probably are.
John,
Now we're on the same page. World free trade, total free trade is when the worker, all over the world, is free to work for the king for the same meager wages.
Jean, just the teensiest bit odd, F. Oct 30, 2007, 4:23am UTC
Weak is the argument of the person who must resort to tearing down the opposition in order to bolster their own opinion of themselves... weak.
Karl Leuba Oct 31, 2007, 10:43am UTC
The problem Ron is that the "free market economists" quoted are not economists, and they don't represent a free market. The Neo Conservative Philosophy is based on a doctrine of domination. You cannot dominate a frying pan, but you can dominate the people who make frying pans. The problem with the "free Market" economists we are hearing from is that they DON'T TAKE FREE LABOR MARKETS INTO CONSIDERATION.

Domination of Iraq is not free market economics, it is enslavement of Iraq. The domination of the world is NOT free market economics, it is enslavement of the world.

The Neo Conservative principal is WORLD DOMINATION. That is their "New World Order." There is nothing new about it. It has been the driving force behind every conquest in the history of humanity.
John Knight Nov 2, 2007, 5:10pm UTC
I believe Darwin called it "survival of the fittest".

Some call it "dog eat dog"

I call it Mammonism.

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