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Strategies & Market Trends : 2026 TeoTwawKi ... 2032 Darkest Interregnum -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: elmatador who wrote (53755)	8/19/2009 5:25:36 PM
From: Maurice Winn	2 Recommendations Respond to of 217574

It is amusing how Americans really think the USA is in favour of free trade, freedom, blah blah blah... but Americans are not allowed to buy the cheapest and best stuff available around the world. Free trade is easy to organize. There isn't even any negotiation needed. Just let anyone sell stuff. If another country doesn't "reciprocate" then that's bad luck for their citizens who will be poorer as a result. If those people do export something, but are not allowed to buy, they'll get money which is only useful for buying things, as the holders of mega$billions in China and Japan are starting to figure out. Trade imbalances don't matter. Well, they do to the exporting country which holds the currency of the buyers - they could easily end up never being paid in real things. The main thing trade agreements do is provide an excuse for politicians to grandstand, get their hand in the till, have junkets to exotic locations with flash hotels and girls and food and booze to solve "trade problems" and to "negotiate trade agreements". None of it is needed. Just get customs officers to check for dangerous or otherwise illegal goods, charge whatever import fee is wanted for handling the stuff and let they buyers enjoy some bargains. If the government prefers to collect taxes at the border instead of from income tax, then charge the tariffs and send the goods on their way. There are no trade talks needed. If some discussion is needed, telephones are not very expensive these days. Mqurice