Recent comments
ADHD: Hunter in a Farmer's World
Thom Hartmann has written a dozen books covering ADD / ADHD - Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder.
Join Thom for his new twice-weekly email newsletters on ADHD, whether it affects you or a member of your family.
Thom's Blog Is On the Move
By webmaster
Hello All
Thom's blog in this space and moving to a new home.
Please follow us across to hartmannreport.com - this will be the only place going forward to read Thom's blog posts and articles.
rewinn - Computers and Cellphones used by the military!!?? What about the single-sourced, foreign made components used in Military aircraft, navigation systems, targeting systems, missles and bombs??!!
Not that I'm a big fan of missles and/or bombs, but we're obviously not gonna stop making them any time soon, so for the sake of national seciurity, shouldn't we at least be able to build our weapons from solely domestic components?
Hey Quark!
It ain't your fault...I inspire prickly...
Thomas, my last sentence may seem contradictory. But if these conditions were to be existent in the foreign countries that dump cheap goods in our market, then the fact of the matter is, they wouldn't have cheap good to dump on our market. Their cost of labor would pretty much match ours, and then on top of that shipping would drive their products price up above the same quality of products that could be produced and sold here.
In essence I'm calling for fair trade over free trade. If we can't get these countries to treat their workers fairly, and environment safely, then counter their low overhead with tariffs. Then as far as me buying a $100 dollar pair of sneakers made in China, or made in America will be more of a decision based on my feelings about the design of the shoes, not if I can afford one easier than the other. Does that make sense now?
@Charles - Apparently, the Rethuglican's have DIFFERENT standards for honesty, depending upon the speaker. The standard is almost impossibly high if a Democrat is speaking, but if one of their own is talking, the standard is "if FOX viewers will believe it, then it's true."
mstaggerlee January 28th, 2010, 10:59 am
@Nels – “Buy American” would be nice … but “HIRE American” would be MUCH better!
The former cannot happen without the latter.
@Nels - "Buy American" would be nice ... but "HIRE American" would be MUCH better! :)
Sorry Church Lady, I'm one O' 'dem evil Irish Catholic boys. Though I am 6' tall and relatively strong. I hope you can still find it in your heart to still let it slide even in light of this. ;-)
Nels,
Your last sentence is contradictory.
Nels,
But how would Walmart make money?
DDay,
Your comments are generally very generous. I must be feeling prickly today. 'Sorry.
I'm getting sick of this smoke and mirrors approach to trade. I'm tired of people saying we're in a global economy as justification for us shipping our manufacturing base out of country. KISS.... Keep It Simple STUPID! NAFTA, CAFTA its all crapola, its not helping us, its not helping them, its allowing the rich to enslave people in other countries (for all intents and purposes) while weakening the workers at home until we're willing to work for a $1 an hour, then week, then month. Their ideal of globalization is finding the lowest base of pay, not the fairest base of pay globally. I'm OK with workers in China making money by shipping products to America, so long as they're producing their products with the same costs we have here, fair pay, safe working conditions, environmental sound production so forth and so on.
Same goes for everyone who actively supports our culture. That includes Repub's too.
Even Dems can rewrite history. Or, have selective memory.
The dot-com bubble?
Begala's argument that we are in a global market, therefore we should have no tariffs or other trade barriers, is a total non sequitur.
Living things have barriers: that's the differences between cells and slime
@ Nels
Church Lady is inclined to let it go this time. She has a thing for big young strapping nordic boys like she imagines you to be. Are you perchance a Lutheran? (She hopes so).
D.Silva
Hear that. Recently joined the ranks of unemployed and uninsured. Can't afford $1100 a month for COBRA. Now I'm one of those crossing his fingers until I can find another job, in Ohio of all places. Even finding a job is no guarantee I'll get employer provided insurance.
DDay,
My theory is that it is good to reinforce the legislators with whom you agree and to challenge the ones with whom you don't agree.
Forgive me Church Lady, I should know better than to tread near and desire reason. I have sinned against Political Correctness, and I shall atone. I'll do my best to say something real stupid and thoughtless soon. (I probably won't have to try too hard :-) )
Charles
Just an outline... Smarter people than me can hammer out the details but the concept is sound.
I am a true liberal and would really like single payer but no way will it happen. I am looking for away to get something done. I pay $300 per month through my employer and my son needs a surgery over the summer. My co-pay for the surgery will be $1600. Something needs to be done.
I've been watching a program on Planet Green, "Bload, Sweat & Takeaways". The program graphically displays the impact our consumerism has on the people who produce our "cheap" products.
Quark,
What makes you assume I haven't ? Al agrees and Amy won't listen. BTW I don't preach, I pontificate.
D.Silva
RE. Capping insurance at 10K.
Is that per family or individual?
What about persons earining minimum wage? That's less than 16K before taxes for a full-time worker.
I would prefer if, like income taxes, it was capped based on % of earnings.
DDay,
Call Franken and Klobuchar and give THEM an earful. You're preaching to the choir with me.
Thom,
I'm feeling your righteous anger at health insurance company crooks!