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National stragegic plan vs. socialism |
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Written by Stumo
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Wednesday, 20 January 2010 |
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As authors Ian Fletcher, Pat Choate and many others have noted, we in the U.S. need a national industrial strategy. The point is not big government or small government, but smart government. The big vs. small argument is ideological and emotional, and obscures which mix of policies produces the biggest benefit.
(Similarly, the debate between free trade and fair trade may not be as helpful as thinking about Smart Trade.)
The U.S. and Britain grew not through free trade, but through strategic trade. The EU, Asian countries and any other country that grew successfully uses strategic trade, not "free trade." The U.S. and Britain declined after switching to free trade, by ceding their advantages to other countries. (Indeed, third world countries often did not receive benefit). Every tax break, price support, R&D credit and myriad other programs are subsidies, but are part of (not all of) a strategic plan.
Oil companies are on welfare. Unemployed are on welfare. Aircraft manufacturers are on welfare. Single moms are on welfare.
If we agree that a national trade and economic plan is good, how do we resist the "socialism" sloganeering? How do we detach from the silly big vs. small government debate?
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In the news
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March 2-4, The Coalition for a Prosperous America
Legislative Fly-In
CPA will hold its Second Annual Legislative Fly-In on
March 2-4, 2010. This is a powerful opportunity for us to work
together to advance trade reform in the halls of Congress. We need to
bring the concerns of the grass roots to our legislators.
This is efficient advocacy, well worth your time. We make all the
meeting arrangements with legislators or their staff, we put together
materials, we plan a message, and we pack meetings together in a
concentrated period of time. You make a bigger impact with your time
using only three of the 365 days in the year.
Click here to sign up for the CPA Fly In.
CPA has a special offer--limited time only: the first 50 registrants
get a free copy of Ian Fletcher's new book: Free Trade Doesn't Work.
This is a highly acclaimed book about trade policy and the needed
changes therein.
Agenda:
March 2, 2010: 2p to 6p - Group meeting for training, talking points and team assignments
March 3-4, 2010: Hill visits
Place: Capitol Skyline Hotel, 10 I ("Eye") Street SW, Washington, DC 20024
Once you sign up with CPA, reserve your room at the Capitol Skyline
Hotel by calling 202.488.7500. You should book for the evenings of
March 2 and March 3.
If you have questions about the events, please call Sara Haimowitz,
Development Coordinator, at 413-203-1410 or email at
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Smart about what gets them elected and keeps them there. I like the idea of smart defined a different way. But I think too many of the people we have now would eat their own babies if it kept them in office. The way we used to treat the problem when we had mama sows that did that was to send them down the road never to return.