House set to pass new "hate crime."

i struggle to believe red is this opposed to the free market and the efficiency and wealth it creates. he has to be pulling our chain.

 

You do realize outsourcing started back in the 90s, right? This is not a republican vs democrat issue, as both parties have supported free trade agreements. NAFTA, signed by Clinton in 1993, got the outsourcing ball rolling.

High cost of labor is the main reason companies leave. Minimum wage policies contribute to high labor cost. Which party loves minimum wage?

Man, this thread was totally hijacked.:hihi: Sorry, BB...

 

global free trade, whether that means cheap foreign labor, or reduced domestic subsidy or whatever, is good. free trade is the key to global prosperity. that we havent realized this is a massive drag on our quality of life worldwide, and isnt doing our political/security situation any favors either.

 

Free trade also needs to be fair trade. Free trade with China is fine as long as they are not manipulating their currency to create an unfair trade advantage.

The challenge is to create fair trade agreements with governments who don't believe in capitalism.

 

Good point.

Who's gonna play fair here when everybody's trying to get ahead?

The other issue is that to bring the rest of the world up to our standard of living could make us sink towards their level. We are essentially betting that a rising tide will float all boats. That optimism in free trade and capitalism is not unwarranted, but would be fraught with risks both seen (playing games with their $) and unseen.

 

if you hire a mexican guy to mow your grass for 5$, has that lowered you standard of living? no it raised it, because now you have a mowed lawn for cheap. and it certainly helped out the mexican, who can now afford an extra taco. trade helps both sides, it doesnt lower anyone.

if you want to lower the standard of living, prevent us from doing business with world. don't allow us to use that efficiency that trade creates.

when people are free to trade, they play fair because the person they are engaging in trade with can always go somewhere else.

 

does his unemployment, crime, and welfare hurt you more than the money you are saving? maybe he will steal your bike. no problem, pretty soon you will have saved enough to buy another, all the while helpin out a hardworking mexican fellow who, unlike our american friend, is willing to work at market price.

 

As long as the mexican fellow is an undocumented worker that has paid no taxes and can still collect from the govt then I'm OK with it.