tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21123853.post8622428260330099124..comments2024-02-12T04:30:53.556-05:00Comments on Tim White Listens: Sino-American relations continue an ugly danceTim Whitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16588518063096822071noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21123853.post-36013839709699723302009-03-14T21:38:00.000-04:002009-03-14T21:38:00.000-04:00Although I was still in college and didn't follow ...Although I was still in college and didn't follow public policy a great deal, I recall being strongly opposed to NAFTA at the time it was signed. I can't say I have a great alternative. To some extent trade will happen and my preference is to minimize tariffs. But to me... the:<BR/><BR/><I>North American Free Trade <B>Agreement</B></I><BR/><BR/>is unconstitutional.<BR/><BR/>But Clinton (like most other Chief Executives - R & D) ignored the Constitution.<BR/><BR/>To me, the Constitution is quite clear. <BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/Treaties.htm" REL="nofollow">The Constitution gives the Senate the power to approve, by a two-thirds vote, treaties made by the executive branch.</A><BR/><BR/>Yet this so-called <B>Agreement</B> got <A HREF="http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=103&session=1&vote=00395" REL="nofollow">approval from less than 2/3 of the Senate</A> (61-38).<BR/><BR/>NAFTA is not an <B>Agreement</B>. It is a <B>Treaty</B>. Just because Clinton and the 103rd Congress were comfortable being untruthful with the American public (and the MSM were complicit), doesn't make it Constitutional.<BR/><BR/>And FWIW, three worthwhile Senators:<BR/><BR/>Feingold - WI - D<BR/>Wellstone - MI - D<BR/>Smith - NH - R<BR/><BR/>all voted against NAFTA.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21123853.post-64942240717112184522009-03-14T21:01:00.000-04:002009-03-14T21:01:00.000-04:00Thank the greedy CEO's at Walmart, Target, home De...Thank the greedy CEO's at Walmart, Target, home Depot, Lowes, Macy's, Nike etc...... for forcing U.S manufacturing off shore to the cheapest producer without any care for the U.S worker, our economy or the health and well-being of foreign workers. They have made China a manufacturing powerhouse and the U.S a debtor nation. China with it's new found wealth can now flex its muscles and try to intimidate it's borrower. <BR/><BR/>So, you see that free trade has worked wonders to line the pockets of our CEO's, but it really hasn't helped this country. <BR/><BR/>The question one has to ask is, were our jobs kept safe, was our financial system kept safe, was our way of life kept safe?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21123853.post-5965303450531184822009-03-14T10:47:00.000-04:002009-03-14T10:47:00.000-04:00"Ironman" already posted on the probable results o..."Ironman" already posted on the probable results of Obamanomics<BR/><BR/><BR/>"I'm really not sanguine about letting the Chinese play banker. I've played banker before with indebted developers who had more debt obligations than free cash flow. Here's what happens to those poor souls.<BR/><BR/>a) They earn no profits. The bank lets them make just enough in management fees not to abandon the property.<BR/><BR/>b) The tenants are reeemed with as many rent hikes as we could get away with before tenants moved out. <BR/><BR/>c) We permitted as little to be spent on building maintainance as we could get away with.<BR/><BR/>The bottom line is both the owner and tenants get hosed so the property can gin up as much revenue for the bank as possible. And yes, if contract debt service still exceeds net revenue, the debt piles up.<BR/><BR/>I'm sure there are tenements in this predicament on Chicago's South Side. There's a very real possibility the whole country ends up that way, unless we are convinced Beijing will be the world's most benign banker. Otherwise, welcome huge tax hikes and poor public services so we can service foreign debt.<BR/><BR/>As for myself, I prefer not to depend on the kindness of strangers."<BR/><BR/>http://thenextright.com/ironman/obamas-cartoonanomics-part-ii-deficits-to-infinity-and-beyondAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com