Enemies of the State

[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by Pete F.

When I was a kid I used to try and "fix" things, luckily most of them were not worth much as my results were not always what I wanted, I wrecked a few things.
I learned when to defer to people who knew more than I
Trumps approach to trade approximates mine then at mechanical things and I don't see a robust group of people advising him.
He doesn't like people who say that won't work or perhaps you should.....
The consequences of: "Who knew trade could be so complicated" could easily be horrendous, maybe he will get lucky

So what should we be doing, to improve our standing in regards to trade? Most people feel we are getting screwed pretty regularly...

[spence]

Originally Posted by Jim in CT

So what should we be doing, to improve our standing in regards to trade? Most people feel we are getting screwed pretty regularly...

So Jim, how has our trade policy screwed you?

[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by spence

So Jim, how has our trade policy screwed you?

I don't know that it has. But I've seen conservatives on Fox say that many of the deals are bad for us, and I've heard liberals on MSNBC say the same thing.

In the other thread, you yourself said there are "some legitimate issues" regarding trade deals. Were you just fear-mongering in that thread, but being the voice of reason in this one? Which is it?

[spence]

Originally Posted by Jim in CT

In the other thread, you yourself said there are "some legitimate issues" regarding trade deals. Were you just fear-mongering in that thread, but being the voice of reason in this one? Which is it?

Theft of IP is a legit issue. I think the Chinese manipulation of currency used to be a problem but is old news. We don't have significant trade issues with pretty much all of the Western world. NAFTA wasn't a bad thing. Bailing out of the TPP was foolish.

But just because we have a trade imbalance with a nation doesn't mean it's necessarily a bad thing. So we have a large trade deficit with China, a lot of that is because Americans like affordable stuff and we don't understand their markets.

[wdmso]

White House 'ends public summaries of foreign calls'


Brick by brick

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-44955992

[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by spence

Theft of IP is a legit issue. I think the Chinese manipulation of currency used to be a problem but is old news. We don't have significant trade issues with pretty much all of the Western world. NAFTA wasn't a bad thing. Bailing out of the TPP was foolish.

But just because we have a trade imbalance with a nation doesn't mean it's necessarily a bad thing. So we have a large trade deficit with China, a lot of that is because Americans like affordable stuff and we don't understand their markets.

"But just because we have a trade imbalance with a nation doesn't mean it's necessarily a bad thing."

And I presume that's exactly how some people are reacting, that an imbalance is bad. I agree.

"we have a large trade deficit with China, a lot of that is because Americans like affordable stuff and we don't understand their markets"

I agree with that too, can't disagree with that.

SO I sit just theft of IP and currency manipulation? There aren't tariffs that our exports get slammed with (levied by the importing countries) that can be re-negotiated,?

[spence]

Originally Posted by Jim in CT

SO I sit just theft of IP and currency manipulation? There aren't tariffs that our exports get slammed with (levied by the importing countries) that can be re-negotiated,?

Well, that's why we enter into trade agreements. The issue here isn't if negotiation is a good or bad thing, it's about Trump's philosophy.

He thinks that multi-national agreements are always a bad thing, and worse he feels that everything should be 1 on 1 with him. Trump thinks every negotiation has to have a winner and a loser, like he got a deal on a real estate transaction. I don't think he has a clue how the global economy really works.

[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by spence

Trump thinks every negotiation has to have a winner and a loser, like he got a deal on a real estate transaction. I don't think he has a clue how the global economy really works.

Yep.