Hawk,
teevee... If a country is utilizing sweat shops, and/or cheap labor that undermines our businesses, it is in the direct interest of the US to force them take the steps necessary to create a middle class in their societies.
Pure fantasy. Ever heard of an American company called Nike? They make running shoes for the NBA in the worst sweat shops in all of Asia.
The poor don't buy things from the US. Middle class and above purchase the technology that the US has to offer. If a country fails to take the steps necessary to increase economic diversity in their own nation, I see little reason to give them carte blanche to receive MFN trading status in order to dump their cheap goods on the US markets.
Now that is directly against America's interests. America's strategic interests are dependant on the third world not developing a middle class to buy American goods. If the standard of living is increased for the rest of the world, it would directly translate into increased demand for and more competition for finite, scarce natural resources and energy. This would mean higher prices for Americans and a lower standard of living and even worse, negatively impact the cost, size and capability of the American armed forces, and the ability of the American economy to continue military funding to the degree it has been accustomed to. American hegemony would be threatened.
As for energy, it's a business, but it's also a national security issue. Furthermore, the more energy we import, the greater the trade deficit (of which energy constitutes the greatest percentage).
I appreciate that Greenspan is having difficulty expanding the rate of money supply. Apparently, even America can only print money so fast.
I don't mind purchasing energy from Canada or Mexico, but I'm highly against relying upon unstable authoritarian regimes like Saudi Arabia for our energy needs, especially when the USD we exchange for that energy winds up being utilized against us through financing of regimes like the Taliban.
You had better get used to it. The bulk of America's oil will come from the Middle east and Kazakstan. The war on terrorism will go on for as long, if not longer, as the cold war. Perhaps your congress and senators will vote in favor of drilling in the Arctic Natural Wildlife Park and get on with the job of building a pipeline to the lower 49? For security reasons, I would recommend using liquified natural gas tankers from Valdez. You just never know when those Canadians might unilaterally put on an export tax on gas, create a foreign pipeline tax, or threaten to cut off the flow of gas as a counter measure to American economic warfare currently being waged on the lumber front.
If America demands continued cheap natural resources and energy, they had better be prepared to kill everyone in the oil rich regions of the middle east and make them new territories of the USA. There is another generation of terrorists waiting in the wings, and another behind them, still suckling on their mothers teats. |
