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Do they think we are idiots? Well, maybe they're right.
I'll be interested to see what trade barriers they identified and how
they mathematically compare with the barriers maintained by the Asian
Tigers, Europe and others.
The article discusses an advance copy of the WTO report due out on June 9, 2008, which apparently says:
In the face of the economic uncertainty prevalent in early 2008,
U.S. welfare would be best promoted by exploiting the adjustment
capacity of the U.S. economy and continuing to reduce barriers to
market access and other distorting measures.
So which barriers are they talking about?
1. It must be currency manipulation. No, wait. We don't do that but most of Asia does.
2.
It must be that we tax imports, even as we reduce tariffs.
Nope. Wrong again. Over 140 of our trading partners do
that, and thus have not reduced their tariffs in 40 years. But we
don't. We unilaterally disarm.
3. It must be
that our environmental rules do not meet international protocols.
Nope. That's China and India.
4. Does the U.S. government own most of our economy and thus hide massive subsidies? No. That's China.
5. It must be our poor labor laws. Er. I guess not.
Well.
We'll see what they want along the lines of more unilateral economic
disarmament, more outsourcing from the U.S. rules, etc. in the face of
protectionism and mercanitilism by everyone else. Funny how their
protectionism gives them growing economies, and our free trade gives us
lessened economic growth and shrinking agriculture and manufacturing.
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