GOP Rhymes with...

[spongebob]

Don´t start with this AMERICAN worker crap. They´re out to protect themselves. Period.

one minute people complain about big business and how they reap too much profit, and the next minute, people complain about the american worker trying to keep his or her salaries at least up with inflation and a little protection bad labor practices.

anything that has happened in this country regarding american workers, solely rest on the companies shoulders.

and then people turn around and say american workers have lost thier competitive edge, its been stripped from them by big businesses.

 

[aurelius]

if demand is greater than supply, i guarentee american business will not buy less. in the past ten years, cost of new home construction has sky-rocketed(due to wage increase among crafts and also MATERIAL cost. has new home sales have also sky-rocketed and continues to increase. is that little bit of tid-bit information in econ.101.

Thought we were talking steel. How much steel is in your house? Try again.

americans lost thier competitive edge, due to the fact that american and non-american companies can make products dirt cheap. labor cost are dirt cheap, environmental laws are sub-par, labor practices would be considered illegal in this country. sure , if you wanna call that being competitive, move to those countries and you or your family members work in those conditions.

You´re wrong on the environmental laws thing. A classic myopic American viewpoint. The standard of living varies tremendously from one country to another. Jobs that would be considerd crap in the US are a decent living in other places. Your final two comments are complete non sequiteurs.

Dismissing my reading advice so soon? A real inquiring mind you have. By the way, this book isn´t philosophy but a cool analysis of the facts. Not a bunch of isolationist platitudes.

 

[spongebob]

Thought we were talking steel. How much steel is in your house? Try again.

yes, steel specifically, but Natureboy and i were also discussing world economy. and i offered an example to squash your arguement of rising materials cost resulting in lowere demand. and yes, steel is used in home construction as with alot of other new applications. if there is demand there will be supply. but never the less, good way to back peddle.

You´re wrong on the environmental laws thing. A classic myopic American viewpoint. The standard of living varies tremendously from one country to another. Jobs that would be considerd crap in the US are a decent living in other places. Your final two comments are complete non sequiteurs.

wait a minute, you start out talking about environmental laws and then proceed to discuss the standard of living. apples and oranges. my arguement is not that we should compare thier standard of living to ours, i would be willing to bet that the difference between two individuals, one that works at a nike factory and one that works at a local resturaunt is not that different.

have you ever been to mexico and seen thier petro-chemical facilities. lovely sight, open atmosphere storage tanks with the ground itself providing the bottom.

Dismissing my reading advice so soon? A real inquiring mind you have. By the way, this book isn´t philosophy but a cool analysis of the facts. Not a bunch of isolationist platitudes. [/QUOTE

 

[aurelius]

You talk apples and oranges. Comparing steel with the housing market is just that. First of all, steel not key in the housing market. Doesn´t matter though. Any increase in production cost will show up at the other end, whether the producer buys less or passes the cost on to the consumer who then buys less.

Housing is a poor example for several reasons, not the least of which is the home mortgage tax write off, the biggest middle class subsidy in the United States. Subsidies distort the supply demand curve in any market. econ 101.

wait a minute, you start out talking about environmental laws and then proceed to discuss the standard of living. apples and oranges. my arguement is not that we should compare thier standard of living to ours, i would be willing to bet that the difference between two individuals, one that works at a nike factory and one that works at a local resturaunt is not that different.

Dead wrong on the comparison between the Nike factory and the local restaurant. As the book I mentioned demonstrates, average wages typically increase in a country that has such foreign investment. Wages given by these foreign investors are also typically above the country´s average. More involved than my simple explanation, of course. Would strongly encourage you to check out the book. You sound genuinely interested.

p.s. Your Mexico story sounds terrible, but what´s your point?

 

[spongebob]

You talk apples and oranges. Comparing steel with the housing market is just that. First of all, steel not key in the housing market. jeez, i think i know that steel is not a key ingredient, i wired houses for five years.

Doesn´t matter though. Any increase in production cost will show up at the other end, whether the producer buys less or passes the cost on to the consumer who then buys less.

thats my point, you say an increase in raw materials eventually causes lower demand. i gave you an example where that is not the case. the cost to the consumer sky-rocketed due to wage increase and MATERIAL cost, and demand did not drop off as you say it should. it sky-rocketed also. see. my point is that demand can drive supply.

Housing is a poor example for several reasons, not the least of which is the home mortgage tax write off, the biggest middle class subsidy in the United States. Subsidies distort the supply demand curve in any market. econ 101.

good point, but i would say that the tax break is not the reason that people are buying new homes at the rate that they are buying. my point is, that people would buy even if there was no tax break.

Dead wrong on the comparison between the Nike factory and the local restaurant. As the book I mentioned demonstrates, average wages typically increase in a country that has such foreign investment. Wages given by these foreign investors are also typically above the country´s average. More involved than my simple explanation, of course. Would strongly encourage you to check out the book. You sound genuinely interested.

ok, well i am going to buy black beauty for my daughter, so i will look for it.

p.s. Your Mexico story sounds terrible, but what´s your point?

my point is, that environmental laws are laxed, which help encourage refineries to locate businesses in such places.

ok, i have exhausted my limited knowledge on this one. good conversation.

 

[aurelius]

Ah, Black Beauty...the timeless classic.

Still think the subsidy completely distorts this market. (especially with a locked in fixed rate, sheltering the investor from inflation) The demand for housing must have also been key for driving up the price, although your point is taken.

That book also addresses your ecological concerns. A bit dry in the beginning. OK, enough with the book.

 

[Longhorn85]

...Hypocrisy.

I just read in "La Vanguardia" this morning that Bush has issued a highly restrictive import quota on foreign steel to protect American made steel.

I thought that Republicans were champions of the free market? I thougth Democrats bent over for unions?



p.s. pointing out hypocrisy in politics doesn´t require much intelligence. Look how easy I did it.

Sounds like he wants to win Pennsylvania's electoral votes next time around.

 

[aurelius]

Simplicity itself.