I have great news. The United States is no longer fighting a “war on terror.” Today, the Bush administration revealed we were never fighting a “war on terror.” The U.S. is actually involved in “a global struggle against violent extremism.”
The Bush administration is not just in the war business but they are also in the marketing business. They finally realized that the “war on terror” wasn’t polling well. Instead of cleaning up the mess, they decided to rename it.
I wonder if President Bush will stop calling himself a “war president” and start calling himself a “struggle president.”
I didn’t learn much in high school but I learned a rose by any other name is still a rose.
U.S. Officials Retool Slogan for Terror War - NY Times
I have a comment directed towards the adminstrators of this website. I have read this blog religously since conception. I have observed that most of the stories are not related to economic issues. I believe the passage of CAFTA is deserving of a blog post. Moreover, trade policy is a issue that needs more attention becuase of the implications on working people.
We can debate choice, Iraq, Rove ect all day. However, I believe a discussion about how the republicans are selling out the United States via trade policy is every bit as important.
agreed adam, im sure “chief” wouldnt be opposed. CAFTA is bad news, its only going to export more jobs and make it harder for impoverished nations to get medicines that they need. Its the greed of the US political leaders showing itself (again), which will only lead to our destruction if the trend continues.
You might want to clarify what you just said. I don’t know what you mean when you say that politicians are “exporting jobs.” I don’t think anyone is thinking of selling jobs to other countries. Globalization is part of our “modern” world and the longer we try to fight it, the more we are going to be hurt by it. Fact is that we have had a net gain in jobs due to globalization, only that these jobs are not to be found in the manufacturing sector but in the service sector. If you have taken a microeconomics course, you are probably aware of the fact that trade barriers are a market inefficiency and only cause us and for that matter them (as in countries in which factories and markets are opened) to lose jobs, wages, and profits. American companies need to stay globally competitive and lowering trade barriers is one of the best ways of ensuring that it will be that way…
Till’s right. Until the average American worker is paid a dollar a day for his services, we can’t be competitive. The answer, according to republicans, is to keep the masses hungry and grateful. Bush has seen to it that service jobs are plentiful, in fact people are encouraged to take at least 2 of them to make ends meet. And of course Nebraskans are selling the farm by giving away huge corporate tax breaks - while people like you and I are supplementing their meagerly paid employees with food stamps and energy assistance. The rich get rich and the poor…….
Well, I don’t know if it is true that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. I would definitly believe that the rich get richer over time, but the poor get also richer over time. It is just that the rich get richer proportionately faster than the poor get richer. Obviously, if you just look at one point in time then your view would be correct. But if you look at it over a time span of let’s say 40, 50 years, you will discover that the average income has grown much faster than inflation. The problem is just that people spend more than they can really afford. People compete against each other in terms of personal assets and thus collect a lot of debt. There is a reason why the average person has over $2,000 worth of credit card debt. I would not blame any republican adminstration for that. What I would blame them for is the excessive fiscal spending that is going on in Washington, DC, right now. The money that is being spend by them is our money and the large deficit will have to be paid by us and our children. In addition to that, the deficit causes interest rates to go up and we have to pay for that as well. Interest rates might have seen low lately, but that is due to actions taken by the FED for which we have to pay with higher inflation…thanks a lot Mr. Bush and Mr. Greenspan…
^^^^^Yeah, what he said^^^^^
I found a great site on Nickel and Dimed. The book was written 4-5 years ago but is even more timely today.
http://www.henryholt.com/readingguides/ehrenreich.htm
Im glad Till that you are willing to sell out American workers just to remove trade barriers. If you go off the premise that trade creates greater competition, then you need a fair competition. Our politicians should not vote for trade agreements where the other countries have no labor laws, enviromental restrictions. CAFTA, for that matter, will neither help the U.S. or central America. The truth is that citzens from central American countries have not the money to buy beef from nebraska, corn from Iowa, or a automobile from Michigan. Thus, the only beneficeries are gonna be the huge multinational corporations who are willing to hire central-americans at slave labor wages. The American worker will suffer because their manufactoring jobs will be going to Hondorous. I have read studies suggesting that NAFTA has cost the US over 3 million manufactoring jobs. Manufacturing jobs are neccessary becuase of the wages and benefits offered. Secondly, the U.S. trade deficit was 670B in 2004. I love to hear people defend U.S. trade policy.
Lastly, globalization has not merely result in lost U.S texile jobs. Rather, globalization is starting to result in lost IT jobs. Thus the need for trade policy that is balanced and protects the American worker.
That’s the price you pay for living in a capitalistic society. That is how it works guys.
I don’t disagree that a capitalistic system is preferable to a socialistic system. However, our trade policy needs to be fairer to the American worker. America needs manufactoring jobs that have decent pay and good benefits. The current trade policy is gonna lead this country towards feudalism (metaphorically speaking). All I am saying is that the we need to ENFORCE our current trade policies and make sure that our trade agreements are fairer to U.S. workers. I am NOT anti-trade. I am not a protectionist.
I have four remarks to make about your previous comments. For once, the same argument about the protection of workers was made over a hundred years ago when we started to introduce machinery into the agricultural sector. Lots of jobs were lost, because the vast majority of tasks that used to be completed by American farm workers were suddenly automated. At this point people will have to be responsible for training themselves to become active in another sector of the economy. I can see why some people see this as a negative point, because this means change and change is often difficult to cope with. On the other hand, this is also progress. Without this kind of progress the opportunities that we have now at hand would have been impossible to implement. What do you think would have happened if we had decided to outlaw machinery to “protect” the American worker back in those days? These are short-term sacrifices that people have to make to guarantee a better living for the next generations to come.
The other point is about your statement that “America needs manufactoring jobs that have decent pay and good benefits.” Again, we live in a globally competitive environment and we cannot compete on the basis of paying “fair wages” to our workers. We probably could do so if American manufacturing was known for its superior quality. Unfortunately, this does not seem to be the case. In the market place, one needs to decide if the company should pursue a quality or a price leadership strategy. We only seem to be able to compete based on the latter one. Honestly, I would rather take a pay cut or see 5,000 workers lose their job than seeing the whole corporation go bankrupt and make everyone lose their jobs. Consider the union wage struggle at GM as an example for that.
The third point I have to make is your remark about “slave labor wages”. Do you think that the “evil” American corporations come into so-called “third world” countries and make the locals work at their factories? Do you think any local is sad when they see a new factory move to their town? Point is that these “slave labor wages” keep families alive in these countries. Workers choose to work there because it is their best possible choice.
The final point that slightly is disturbing me is the attack on the American trade policy based on the fact that we have a large trade deficit. Who do you think is causing this deficit? Is it the government that loves goods made in China or the consumer? I believe that the American people can blame themselves for that. The U.S. government has done a tremendous job in keeping the Dollar low and thus actively seeking to increase exports and decrease imports.
I don’t know if you are trying to use Karl Rove’s strategy of attacking the strong points of the enemy, but I would leave this subject alone and concentrate on issues on which the government has really fucked up.
Bottom line Till: Our trade agreements have cost America high-paying jobs. Not to mention that it is in America’s interest to produce goods here at home (considering how the Middle East and China are becoming more hostile).
What are you talking about? I don’t think you listen to any of the arguments being made here…
Till, I see what you’re saying and I understand. However, I think its easy for you to say:
“At this point people will have to be responsible for training themselves to become active in another sector of the economy.” But its not so easy to say that when you see it with your own eyes. Often, it takes a generation or more to accomplish moving to another sector. What has the gov’t done to help them when the companies move to Mexico? Most of the manufacturing workers of America don’t have the privilage we have to go to college, or some other school and just retrain themselves.
Take for example, my family. They live in a small town in Michigan where much of the local economy relies on manufacturing. The main factory makes refridgerators. My Grandfather, my Grandma, my Dad, my Uncle all worked there. My Stepmom worked for another factory. Electrolux closed to move to Mexico. My grandma and grandfather and grandmother retired, at a reduced benefit of course, because it was early. My Stepmom got laid off and now works at Wal-Mart for $7 an hour. My Dad is unemployed with no prospects, and no money to go to school. My Uncle is considering truck driving.
It’s not easy for me when I see the economies of small town all over my homestate struggling because its cheaper to pay Mexican workers. You wanna talk about what’s fair? Tell it to them. That they’ll just have to up and change their situations. Its not so easy. Unless they’re willing to take a major paycut. That’s even if they can find a job b/c they have to compete with all the other ppl who got laid off for the remaining jobs in the area.
CAFTA may seem logical, but its not about that. My problem is with the lack of compassion for our own working (or unemployed)poor that I have a problem with. What happens to them?
Ever wonder where your banana came from? In the vast majority of the cases products from CAFTA countries come in to U.S. fro free (bananas, sugar) yet products from the U.S. must pay heavy tariffs when it goes into these countries.
Yes, we probably aren’t going to sell many Chevy’s in San Pedro de Macoris but it will open up U.S. products to new markets, as well as promoting democracy in the region.
CAFTA and NAFTA are bad for America and they are bad for the global economy. We can’t be competitive my ass. American workers are getting shafted so that the CORPORATION can continue to make sickening profits margins. Stop and think for a moment and let me connect the dots. No jobs=no healthcare= higher cost of medical care= more welfare & medicaid. That’s just what we are doing to Americans with this crap. When our companies offshore those corporations the people who take those jobs are working in sweats shops and liv horrible lives. Which translates into hatered for America, which creates terrorism. The reason they aren’t buying the Chevy’s is they can’t afford them.
Further Till- Just because we can expolit poor nations doesn’t mean we should. You should read Confessions of an Economic Hitman, John Perkins. I bet your imperialist attitude changes once you understand the far reaching effects. Union wages aren’t what cost corporations to go belly up. CEO salaries and corruption cause that, my dear. Think of this the average CEO make 600% of what the average worker makes. Let’s bring that salary back to earth and distribute it to the worker bees and see what happens.
Here is a great article in chicago post about the war on terrorism.
It seems that President Bush didn’t get the memo.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-0508140339aug14,0,71056.story?coll=chi-newsopinionperspective-hed
Sorry guys here is the link