Re: " i have explained on several occasions that free trade doesn't necessarily lead to lower costs to the consumer. if you eliminate tariffs as a source of revenue to the federal government, some other source of revenue must replace it. so individuals simply pay the government income taxes instead. ...
"
You couldn't be more wrong. Your argument is bogus because once tariffs are ended the people who get the work is irrevocably altered. In other words, we WILL then buy overseas at lower costs when we can. All the taxes in the world won't change that fact, so long as none of them are based solely on WHERE we are buying(then they would act just like tariffs). Thus, the benefits of free trade must remain. With free trade, people decide what is good for their household income and ultimate savings. Without it, everything costs more(and production suffers worldwide creating scarcities- whole countries/peoples are economically pounded- not good for anyone)
Benefits from ending tariffs cannot be lost to other taxes, pure and simple. Think, and you will know. This writer certainly never said nor imagined, that free trade is a free lunch; but one cannot ignore the benefits without doing a disservice to the truth.
Re: "americans suffer lower wages from free trade, and have less money to spend on these cheap imports you find lining the shelves of wal-mart."
The advantages of global efficiencies and allowing low cost producers the world over to win the contracts, would benefit every economy the world over, and if you suggest that in the face of such efficiencies, wages would go lower than prices would drop, you are merely dreaming. If you think so, just try to explain why. You'll fail, as there is no factor in the equation to address that would have that effect at all.
If there were, I'd love to know about it.
Re: "you mean i'm not some naive, utopian, marxist who believes that free trade leads to peace, good-will, harmony and unity among all mankind. never has, never will.
"
My GOD! You write that about Marxists, and call yourself knowledgeable? Oh, I've called you on this one before, I think, and you STILL don't show a rudimentary understanding of what Marxists believe.
Re: " theft is when the government confiscates more and more money from your paycheck every week. theft is the income tax, which replaced the tariff system."
Yes, Yes, and NO, the income tax didn't replace tariffs, and will never have the same deleterious effect as our MANY tariffs have today. But then, you often don't sound like you realize we have EXTENSIVE tariffs in this century.
Re: "the government takes far more money from individuals today under the oppressive income tax system than it ever did under the previous system of tariffs before when we had no income tax. "
Surely. And the government takes far more money from society in tariffs today, than it ever did in the previous system when we had no income tax. You see? My version is equally true. Think about it.
Freedom Works. Tariffs harm otherwise decent producers and consumers alike. No other type of tax can duplicate the harm Tariffs do.
Dan B |
