COL Gene COL Gene

Bush does nothing about Trade Deficit

▼

Bush does nothing about Trade Deficit

from JoeUser Forums
The Commerce Department reported that the trade deficit in January was the second highest ever in the history of the U S. We have run record high trade deficits in each of the last three years. Last year it hit $617.1 Billion which is an increase of 24% in just one year. Last monthy a surge is textile shipments from China and high oil prices pushed the monthly deficit to $58.3 Billion.

Bush is not using the controls within the trade agreements to help stem the trade deficit. China, which Bush brought into the WTO in responsible for over 1/3 of our total trade deficit. China is dumping things like textiles and sets its currency exchange rates that results in higher prices for our goods in China and lower prices for goods made in China sold in the U S. Even though there are controlls wihtin our trade agreements, Bush IS NOT USING THEM to help reduce the trade deficit. The latest dumping of textiles is likely to cause the remaining textile industry to end production in the U S and cause the loss of another 345,000 American jobs.

What is even worse then Bush not using the control provisions with the trade agreements is that he wants Congress to approve the extention of the Free Trade policy to Central America that will impact our sugar industry like China did for texriles and many other goods. This is another example where the interest of Big business is put ahead of the American people. The reason Bush gives for supporting the so called "Free Trade" is that it results in lower prices. When no one in America has a job that pays a living wage, how will Americans be able to but anything even at the lower prices ? The Free Trade Policy which Bush is following has failed for over 12 years. The rate of failure has increased under Bush as he expanded the policy to China. Why would anyone propose to expand a policy that has failed to work for over 12 years?
politics
10,396 views 34 replies
Reply #26 from JoeUser Forums Top
You know, I read a brief article about this on Col Gene's blog and said to myself "Betcha Daiwa adds nothing but pithy, snotty little comments, because this is like the 50th example Col. Gene has given of how bad a president Bush is, yet Daiwa and his fellow FoxZombies have not once provided a compelling, reality-based argument in favour of Bush. It must really suck being a Bush supporter, getting pwned on a daily basis in the blogsphere, armed with nothing but vitriol, obfuscation, and a six dollar mullet haircut." I love it when I don't disappoint myself


Bwahahahahahah....................
Well stated. Thanks for not disappointing us.
Reply #27 from JoeUser Forums Top
Love you, too, dabe.

Gene -

There is a big difference between support and adulation. I have little use for or interest in what Bush (or Clinton, or Reagan, or any other President) did before his political career. That has no relevance. Harry Truman was a hat salesman, for crying out loud, but is now widely regarded as having been a pretty good President. I'll judge President Bush on his positions and actions as President. I suspect my judgement will be different than yours, which is OK. While there are significant issues on which I disagree or differ with the President's position or approach, overall I have concluded that he's the right man for the job during this particular era of our history. Quibbling over what he did 30 years ago and how he got where he is seems such a waste of intellectual energy, and has nothing to do with what he has or has not done about the trade deficit.

Cheers,
Daiwa
Groupy 2 - Organize multiple applications into grouped tabs on your Windows desktop
Reply #28 from JoeUser Forums Top
Daiwa

A person's ability to do a job is in part impacted by their experience and background. I agree that in the end, how well George W. did as President will be more important then his lack of success in the past. It was how he is doing as President that got me started at looking into his past and to evaluting the results of his policies.

From the outset, I did not like how Bush acted in the primary with Sen McCain. His election in 2000 is another issue that is not what I would like to see in an election. There should have been a full recount in Florida.

Now lets see how Bush delt with the major issues that faced him as president.

the political discord when he was elected was poor and it has gotten worse since 2001

We went from off surplus to a huge deficit with no end in sight.

The trade situation has gotten significantly worse under Bush with no end in sight.

The difficulty with inadequate military strength has gotten worse under President Bush.

His energy policy was a giveaway to big companies and as a result we have no energy policy in over four years.

He is ignored the bigger problem which is Medicare and Medicaid and sought to make changes in Social Security.

The centerpiece of the Social Security change does not solve the problem of solvency which is the major issue at hand.

Job loss in this country during his administration has become epidemic. He has not been effective in reducing the huge job loss in America.

He, for the first time in modern history, used preemptive use of our military to attack the country did not pose a security threat to the United States.

World opinion as to his leadership is very negative. Even though he has obtained the support of a few key leaders, people in those countries do not support either their own government the actions of the United States.

His attitude is one of , DO IT MY WAY!.

The countries being governed from the right, moderates and liberals are simply ignored. That is dangerous situation. Some will say that 51% voted for Bush. When you look in his individual policies, most Americans disagree with the policies of George Bush and the direction he is taking this country.

Therefore when I see how well has done at solving existing problems or dealing new ones, I cannot find his results are good for America. I cannot understand how the federal deficit, trade deficit, loss of jobs, budget priorities of Mr. Bush, the Iraq war, the way in which most of the world looks at our president as a swaggering overbearing leader are good. What has he accomplished that you see as being good for the future of this country?
Reply #29 from JoeUser Forums Top
There should have been a full recount in Florida.


This blows all credibility you might have had Gene. How many more recounts did you want? The Florida thing has become a sad joke mostly because of people who just can't accept the fact that Prs. Bush won. No matter how they recounted it, no matter how many times they recounted it. Period.

If the Gore camp thought they could have done better with a full recount, they would have pushed for it, but instead they chose to weight the outcome by picking and choosing the counties they wanted recounted. Even in a lopsided recount, THEY LOST. Get over it!!
Reply #30 from JoeUser Forums Top
Gene -

Your impression of the power of the Presidency to control everything is very skewed and rather divorced from reality. As for your rhetorical question, no President has to "accomplish" anything. That's one of the popular misconceptions about the Presidency. The President's primary role lies in the conduct of our foreing policy, over which he has considerable discretion, though not unfettered freedom of action. Many of the decisions Bush has made and legislation he has pursued successfully as President have been and will be good for the future of this country. He gets no credit from people like you for managing the impacts of the collapse of the tech bubble and 9/11, turning around a recession that was already in progress on his taking office; the cushioning effects of the tax cuts and other policies avoided what could have been far worse economic consequences, but since you can't prove a negative, his accomplishment gets dismissed. The jury is still out, in my view, as to whether the Afghanistan and Iraq invasions will ultimately make us more safe and secure, but I believe they will. I happen to believe the President correctly assessed the oppression and stagnation in the Middle East that was providing the environment for the growth of terrorism and correctly concluded that the only way things were ever going to change for the better there was for the seeds of democracy to be planted and allowed to grow, even if that meant military overthrow of oppressive regimes. Only with freedom and the establishment of governments of the people is there any hope of those governments acting in the interests of their own citizens as opposed to the interests of the ruling oppressors. The evolution of democracy in the Middle East, which will be stuttering and messy, will make the world a safer place and, I believe, vindicate President Bush. I believe we will, ten or twenty years from now, look back on this time as a significant turning point in history for the better.

Cheers,
Daiwa
Reply #31 from JoeUser Forums Top
That does not wash. The President is responsible for a lot more then Foreign Policy. If you believe Bush has done a good job in that area you are kidding yourself.

The fiscal policy (Tax and spending policies) are very much under his control. In the case of Bush, congress gave him almost everythibng he wanted so it is his policy that impacted our economy. Tell our childuen his policy was a good thing as the pay Trillions in interest and pricipal so he could take care of his Base! Tell the millions who's jobs are in China, India and other countries how great a job he has done with the trade policy. Tell the poor who he wants to cut help for in his new budget. Tell the families of the 25,000 military that have been killed or injured how they gave their all to attack a country that did not pose any danger to their country.

You Bushies make me sick!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Reply #32 from JoeUser Forums Top
Gosh, Gene. I just don't understand you giving Congress a pass on all this - they write the checks. And you apparently see everything through the lens of your hatred (or dislike if you prefer a milder term) for Bush. It seems it's made you irrational - no wonder you're sick. Whether you are willing to accept it or not, I'm not a "Bushie," by which you appear to mean someone who blindly supports everything Bush says or does.

Cheers,
Daiwa
Reply #33 from JoeUser Forums Top
You Bushies make me sick!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I can't think of a higher compliment, considering the source. ;~D
Reply #34 from JoeUser Forums Top
I for one place the future of my children above the instant gradification of tax cuts to people that do not need anything. If our parents did to us what we are doing to our children, we would not have had the GOOD life! The conservatives are a money grabbing group that says the hell with the future just give me MORE NOW!