Trade Wars: Obama vs. ... Obama?

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Preferential Trade Agreements seem to an apt way forward during the 2008-09 economic crises.
Preferential Trade Agreements simply state an economic reason to have trade agreements with specific countries, or regions.
Preferential Trade Agreements will address a protectionist or an open trade strategy depending on:-
1. impact on domestic buying & spending habits
2. safe guarding domestic jobs preferably for a growing & wider population
Hence, USA may continue it's software development outsourcing with India but would like to re-look at the customer service (voice & non voice processes) operations being supported in India, to check if a segment of the US work-force can fit here.
Success with Prefrerntial Trade Agreements in the coming years, present Doha Agreement status, would perhaps let countries decide their 'Tariff structures' as deemed fit, leaving trade governance & analytics in the safe hands of the WTO.
Kennedy Samuel

Kennedy Samuel 8:48AM February 24, 2009

Personally, First of all, I don't understand why we are importing things from China that could be made closer to home such as toys and gadgets...etc.?? To be honest, I would much rather see Mexico manufacturing those items for us. It would produce jobs for them and in turn encourage them to stay in their own country instead of breaking the law to come here and take jobs from us. I wouldn't want them making automobiles though or medicine. Some things we need to covet and produce ourselves in order to meet our own standards and secure those jobs in the US and Canada where they originated .The US for some reason is allowing China to manufacture medicines that are killing people, toys that are making children sick, toothpaste with antifreeze in it and we still trade with them??? I say, if we have a need to produce certain insignificant items cheaper then we ought to be trading with our neighbors versus China. We should not, on the other hand jeopardize the quality of what we produce by allowing substandard parts made elsewhere for our own goods. I think we are undermining the quality of our goods by outsourcing the production of parts. You can disagree with me but I think it makes more sense than what we are doing now.

Lene of IL 3:39PM April 14, 2008

I agree with JKF of Wa.As a Canadian I buy alot of products from USA and Canada.We own a truck and a car made by GM.We just bought a lawn tractor which said "MADE IN USA'.We always,always buy USA/Canadian products.Costs more but the quality is definitely better.We want to keep the jobs alive here instead of shipping them to China.If all Canadians and Americans buy vehicles made in USA instead of buying foreign vehicles you will keep the jobs in your own countries especially those poor folks from Ohio who are down and out.How many Ohions are driving foreign vehicles or buying made in USA products???Have your pride and be patriotic.That way the jobs will stay in your own country.Buy USA.Keep jobs in USA.

Mary from Canada 1:42PM March 07, 2008

I am very sad for the people who go on & on about renegotiating NAFTA while crying that the factories in their area have closed and their jobs have gone to "slave laborers in China".
Last I knew China is not in North America - it would be nice if at least one of the three major candidates were smart enough to point this out and then have some statistics handy to support their "true" position on Free Trade. Or any of the other issues on the table for that matter.

JFK of WA 4:28PM March 03, 2008

Obama says that he wants to do more for impoverished countries, such as those in Africa. Yet, many agree (including Jimmy Carter) that an end to protectionist policies of the US and other rich countries would do more to help poor countries than any amount of aide ever could. Yet another example of Obama's contradictory promises.

Reginald of MD 1:28PM March 03, 2008

It's funny how many people defend Obama even though he is the essence of flip flop on every issue he has confronted, from campaign finance, to Cuba, and now free trade.
Let's see if he actually admits that he has known Tony Rezko and Bill Ayers for over ten years. Obama the fraud comes from the cesspool of liberal Chicago politics. He has even called referred to Farrakahn as "Minister". People do not know this yet, but they will.
When the political wind blows Obama the fraud will put his finger in the air. It's funny how he actually thinks independents will vote for him on election day once they find out his banner is only a liberal agenda disguised in some eloquent rhetoric of unity.
People will face the truth and they will vote for McCain.

LC of CA 10:46PM March 02, 2008

lets face it. liberals want to spend your money their way. clinton, obama, edwards, huckabee all want to take your money and spend it so as to improve their standing and gather more power all the while feeling soooo good about themselves.
its not my fault that so many americans chose to be stupid and lazy. they choose to watch tv rather than get better job skills. they chose to smoke and drink rather than exercise. they chose to have unprotected sex at a young age and are not stuck with a bunch of rowdy children rather than waiting. they chose these actions i didn't force them to. so, i don't feel sorry for them when they while trade is unfair.

timstevens of AZ 10:08AM March 02, 2008

Conor of Ark, I like Obama as well, but pulling out of NAFTA would be a terrible idea. Protectionism is nothing more than corporate welfare. If you put up tariffs to protect this company or that industry, it is no different than giving them special tax breaks or subsidies.
The protectionists would have us believe trade outcomes break out along class lines, rich get richer with free trade and everyone else is worse off. This is flat out baloney. Yes, if we put up trade barriers, some workers in protected industries may get paid more in the short term but investors will also see higher returns and management will get more. The rest of us, those who consume, those who export, etc will lose out. We tried protectionism back in 1930 and it greatly accelerated the Depression. I like Obama, but he is wrong her and SHAME OF HILLARY CLINTON for not sticking up for a treaty (NAFTA) that is, on balance, GOOD FOR AMERICA.

ConsDemo of WA 8:58AM March 01, 2008

can't you see that these sort of hit jobs only help our guy! people in america are hurting! we always hurt when republicans are in office, and then we don't when democrats come along. obama will save us and heal our souls! and the best part is, i don't have to do anything except go to the polls one day a year -- how many chances does one have to make life wonderful for so little effort? go obama!

conor of AR 8:44AM March 01, 2008

"and number 2, the CTV Canada NAFTA story you guys are banging on about has already been debunked, ie, proven to be completely made up."
'Fraid not. CTV stands by its story and the gentlemen named decline to deny.
"NAFTA is not all good or all bad, but more should have been done to prepare American workers for this dramatic economic change that has plagued Michigan and Ohio."
I don't know about Ohio, but Michigan's industrial base--a one-trick pony--shot itself in the foot decades ago (and long before NAFTA) by not responding to Americans' desires for choices in smaller, more fuel efficient cars and allowing the UAW to browbeat it into accepting that essentially unskilled assembly line labor deserved a skilled craftsman's wage/benefit package. And Michigan's state and local governments have been mismanaged for quite some time now.
I sense the halo begins to tarnish and the support is a little less mindlessly exuberant. Has Obamania peaked? Doesn't auger well for November.

SukieTawdry of CA 10:02PM February 29, 2008