Quote:
Originally Posted by Nimetic
This is just knee-jerk nationalism surely.
We might as well say that it's time to stop allowing financial ties with US companies, because they are clearly dishonest and poorly regulated.
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I know this is a bit off target and will gladly open a new thread on this to carry a discussion.
I believe if ALL companies that did business in the US {i.e. sold goods, in sourced services, etc} were forced to pay US minimum wages, benefits and corporate taxes, along with have the same regulations {worker's comp, worker's rights, pollution controls and so on} Fewer companies would outsource, fewer companies would look overseas for "cheaper labor and less regulations", more product would be made in America.
I am not against free trade, I am against one country having to play by rules others won't, import tariffs are a good example. US steel is still the strongest best made steel, BUT we are getting killed because we have rules to follow and are taxed to death in other countries while sub par steel made in those countries receive subsidiaries from their governments and are taxed extremely low here.
I am a firm believer that countries need to produce their own goods as much as possible and rely on other countries only for what they cannot produce.
If we are to globalize the world economy, then ALL nations need to play by the same rules. Until that happens, we will look for the cheapest labor and the "shortcuts" and keep having poisons in our food supplies and unsafe products.
Anyone remember the Chinese made toys that contained lead sold here a few years ago?
It's pathetic that those who believe Capitalism is so great and that we have the greatest economic society and freest country ever..... are so willing to allow this country to trade with countries that hate us. It is pathetic that those who cry for human rights and talk about how evil "waterboarding" is or how the Chinese have very few civil rights, or how these countries have blood thirsty dictators.... yet will gladly ship jobs over there, send our money over and demand we have lower tariffs so that these countries can thrive and continue paying kids pennies a day, while we watch factories close, businesses go bankrupt and thousands lose good paying jobs to work at Wal Mart or McDonald's. Not to mention watching tax revenue decrease because there are no factories, no production here.... and what little there is has to either be taxed more to make up for the losses or they get tax abatements from cities, counties and states who tax the people more to make up for the lost revenue.
But what do I know? No one fucking cares, it's all about buying the cheapest product because we can't even afford what we make here. Then when shit like the OP happens, tainted pet food, lead painted toys, etc etc ..... it's news for a minute then no one cares anymore and no one wants to think about it or demand change.
Scary days these are.