It couldn't be in enough trouble to suit me. From the text it sounds like it can still be negotiated. Corporate heads hiding in the shadows of their government puppets (e.g., Obama and Boner) want to destroy sovereignty that sometimes protects individual rights.
This mess is nothing more than a Pacific rim version of the EU, and we can see what a raging success that's been. Additionally, I'm good and tired of all the secrecy that surrounds everything these clowns do. Honestly, I don't know if Obama is deliberately trying to bring us down or he's a narcissistic moron who hasn't a clue. But in the end, what does it matter?
US policy has been a disaster ever since the breakup of the USSR. Privately, I predicted then that the absence of the Russian enemy would be a red flag to US political/economic interests that always considered their interests above the interests of America and individual liberty. The neocons and banksters (et al) have fulfilled that prediction and are still dragging American liberty over that cliff to destruction.
Generally, I'm in favor of free trade most of the time, but you have to have free trade with equal footing on all parties. We can't be in a fair competitive position with slave labor...
Am I afraid of cheap manufactured goods? Well, the American consumer spoke and they really like Walmart... I don't personally buy that sh*t... I stick to decent stuff on Amazon and rarely leave the house, but that's me. We (Americans) just kind of suck at making cheap consumer junk anyway. What we do really well is 'quality' stuff like cleaning detergents (compared to Chinese & Mexican crap), chemicals, military hardware, aviation, shipbuilding, software (not the computers, automobiles, etc.
I work in the software industry, have for decades, and I manage development projects... Asians (as a whole and I'm generalizing here) kind of lack creativity in a way, and don't usually have a sense of aesthetics... am I making that up? no... look at Chinese knock-offs of iPhones & such. They are always just kind of weird & funky, aside from being cheap, the interfaces tend to be just weird and non-intuitive. For that reason, they tend to not make good software... not previously, not now, not in the future. I think it comes from a lack of 'choice' and 'free will' in their culture. In most of those countries, there are only right-turns and roundabouts on the street, you can never turn left.. so decisions are always made for you in advance. They tend to rely on that as a people and need direction constantly... Most Asian countries seem to have the same problem, with the exception of the Japanese. Let them make the hardware (there isn't much money in that) and we'll keep making apps & software...
Same with things like pickup trucks... ever seen a really decent competitor to an American pickup truck? Neither have I. They don't have houses on 10 acres, they don't have ranches, they don't have much for individual family financial capacity for any kind of scaled-up pickup requirements - towing boats, trailers, etc... so while they knock-off the concept, there isn't much capability there.
In this case, I just don't see an upside to it. The only things we get from a lot of those countries is textile manufacturing, and I'm sure Under Armour and Nike have the room in their margins to pay some import tariffs. We really don't need more plastic junk from China.
However, seeking the same type of deal with Japan, Taiwan, maybe the Phillippines, our allies in the Middle East, Israel, Europe, and aligning our military alliances with the economic preferential treatment can only be a good thing. We don't have much common ground with these folks... I realize you always want to improve that as a political gesture, but what's really the upside to close economic ties to Malaysia? They can't find their own airplane a year later...
When I became single again and was still trying to make it on military retirement alone my sister took me to a place called Grocery Outlet cautioning me to watch the dates. Then to a dollar store and said once that's done you'll have enough to afford a few things at safeway IF they are on sale.
In return I introduced her to food banks. Yes Mr. and Mrs. America you can retire from the military and qualify for food banks.
Point is for all of you still in the service. The big bucks you make now will be worth a lot less when you really need them.
I shop for a lot of stuff there too in the grocery category, I just don't like most of their consumer stuff. Although I do buy some of my hunting clothes there (RealTree).
I don't care for their meat though, at least here, it tastes like imported zebra-meat or something and isn't much cheaper than Raleys/Safeway.
Hopefully, the thing will die. But if it does -- They'll be back. The lefties never give up on stuff like this. Perhaps they can work up a tragedy that will work in their favor.
I think Obummer is pushing this to happen on his watch, and because it may lower drug costs, making his Odummycare look better rather than just a huge cost.
This mess is nothing more than a Pacific rim version of the EU, and we can see what a raging success that's been. Additionally, I'm good and tired of all the secrecy that surrounds everything these clowns do. Honestly, I don't know if Obama is deliberately trying to bring us down or he's a narcissistic moron who hasn't a clue. But in the end, what does it matter?
down a few notches. . it has worked, big time. -- j
.
evil?? This guy had Satan's odor about him
since day one!
an estimate on his negative impact. -- j
.
So much for property rights...
Am I afraid of cheap manufactured goods? Well, the American consumer spoke and they really like Walmart... I don't personally buy that sh*t... I stick to decent stuff on Amazon and rarely leave the house, but that's me. We (Americans) just kind of suck at making cheap consumer junk anyway. What we do really well is 'quality' stuff like cleaning detergents (compared to Chinese & Mexican crap), chemicals, military hardware, aviation, shipbuilding, software (not the computers, automobiles, etc.
I work in the software industry, have for decades, and I manage development projects... Asians (as a whole and I'm generalizing here) kind of lack creativity in a way, and don't usually have a sense of aesthetics... am I making that up? no... look at Chinese knock-offs of iPhones & such. They are always just kind of weird & funky, aside from being cheap, the interfaces tend to be just weird and non-intuitive. For that reason, they tend to not make good software... not previously, not now, not in the future. I think it comes from a lack of 'choice' and 'free will' in their culture. In most of those countries, there are only right-turns and roundabouts on the street, you can never turn left.. so decisions are always made for you in advance. They tend to rely on that as a people and need direction constantly... Most Asian countries seem to have the same problem, with the exception of the Japanese. Let them make the hardware (there isn't much money in that) and we'll keep making apps & software...
Same with things like pickup trucks... ever seen a really decent competitor to an American pickup truck? Neither have I. They don't have houses on 10 acres, they don't have ranches, they don't have much for individual family financial capacity for any kind of scaled-up pickup requirements - towing boats, trailers, etc... so while they knock-off the concept, there isn't much capability there.
In this case, I just don't see an upside to it. The only things we get from a lot of those countries is textile manufacturing, and I'm sure Under Armour and Nike have the room in their margins to pay some import tariffs. We really don't need more plastic junk from China.
However, seeking the same type of deal with Japan, Taiwan, maybe the Phillippines, our allies in the Middle East, Israel, Europe, and aligning our military alliances with the economic preferential treatment can only be a good thing. We don't have much common ground with these folks... I realize you always want to improve that as a political gesture, but what's really the upside to close economic ties to Malaysia? They can't find their own airplane a year later...
In return I introduced her to food banks. Yes Mr. and Mrs. America you can retire from the military and qualify for food banks.
Point is for all of you still in the service. The big bucks you make now will be worth a lot less when you really need them.
I don't care for their meat though, at least here, it tastes like imported zebra-meat or something and isn't much cheaper than Raleys/Safeway.
Which makes me wonder what secret gotchas the President put in it that his allies don't know about!
See little value in it for the US as a whole.