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Jan. 31st, 2009 10:28 amUS reviewing 'Buy American' stimulus clause
I'm very interested in seeing how the President deals with this one. I'm reading a lot of comments about how the clause violates NAFTA, but since I hate NAFTA with the force of a zillion fiery suns, it's not an argument that sways me.
NAFTA aside, I still don't think the clause is a very good one, because a.) It's going to piss off every single one of our trading partners, and b.) Protectionism breeds protectionism, which brings me back to a.) It's going to piss our trading partners off and maybe they'll go tit for tat and decide they okay, they won't buy any of our stuff, either, so there. And a whole big part of me wouldn't blame them.
Sure, I think the US needs to think of our own citizens and saving jobs, especially now, but alienating our allies seems like a bad way to go about it. There's gotta be more than one option. I'm so far away from being an economist it isn't even funny, but it doesn't seem like a good economic choice, because (see a.)).
Journalists are calling this issue the first big test of the new President. I think it is, because there's no way he's going to please everyone. Which is probably why he hasn't given an opinion yet. I figure we'll find out either way by Febuary 19th, tops.
I'm very interested in seeing how the President deals with this one. I'm reading a lot of comments about how the clause violates NAFTA, but since I hate NAFTA with the force of a zillion fiery suns, it's not an argument that sways me.
NAFTA aside, I still don't think the clause is a very good one, because a.) It's going to piss off every single one of our trading partners, and b.) Protectionism breeds protectionism, which brings me back to a.) It's going to piss our trading partners off and maybe they'll go tit for tat and decide they okay, they won't buy any of our stuff, either, so there. And a whole big part of me wouldn't blame them.
Sure, I think the US needs to think of our own citizens and saving jobs, especially now, but alienating our allies seems like a bad way to go about it. There's gotta be more than one option. I'm so far away from being an economist it isn't even funny, but it doesn't seem like a good economic choice, because (see a.)).
Journalists are calling this issue the first big test of the new President. I think it is, because there's no way he's going to please everyone. Which is probably why he hasn't given an opinion yet. I figure we'll find out either way by Febuary 19th, tops.
