OK.. It's clear you don't have a clue what is meant by "practical, economic trade barriers" Reg. me and logic. WTF the above statement means???? You are right I don't have a clue what "practical, economic barriers" mean. Neither do you because somebody must decide what is "practical, economic" and what is not. It doesn't mean a shit because it's gonna be dependent on someone judgement and because the judgement will be made by guess whom?? "Gummint" or whatever you fucking call it. Which means the judgement is gonna be stupid and CORRUPTED (far from economic and practical) It's funny to me that you of all people (despite your incessant bitching and whining about government) you want to hand them more powers. Who is gonna face the competion and who is not. So much for your consistency of thought. If you still think you make sense tell me what "practical,economic barrier" means and who is gonna make a call.
Example: In U.S. consumers pay more for sugar because there are tarrifs on imported sugar. It means economic sense for growers but economic non-sense for consumers. Can you see now how stupid it is to talk about barriers being practical and economic?
Argentina is an incredibly rich country from gas, oil, minerals and la pampa that can feed more than 500 million people and yet the country has a population of only 40M. Give or take the odd times of military junta, the people have supported the Peronistas since 1946 ... all 58 squabbling branches of Peron's centralised beliefs. And yet the bulk of the population remains poor and for obvious reasons the Gov of the day (any day) remains committed to keeping them in that condition. viva la revolución viva la democracia regards f9
Same as in Amerika... Politicos campaign with, "vote for me, I'll make things better for YOU"... but in reality things stay the same for all of us "YOUs", while the politicos rake off more and more for themselves.... same old, same old.... Obama or McCain/Bush... just yin and yang of the same dance.
'Tis the game of politics. The game pieces are the politicians and the game board is the nation of citizens that the pieces step on to play their game. Yeah, I vote but I don't trust a one of them.
I have to ask though: How much money has the US as a society invested into basic research, universities, schools and other educational tools in order to further human capital over the last 25 years (in comparison to Europe and Asia)? You can't expect the middle class to double their median income every decade with many US highschool graduates having problems with the English language and basic math. The more jobs on the lower end of the spectrum are being contested by emerging economies, the more competitive advantages in technology, education and research are necessary in order to make wage increases possible.
When US practiced protectionism, it was a world superpower in every aspect. Japan still practices protectionism up to a point. The nation is in better shape than most "first world" nations. You are in total denial. You pay undivided attention to economists who live in bubbles filled of theory and filtered data. Yet you are blind to the reality going on in front of your face. Eventually, you won't be able to ignore the reality anymore.
That's a huge and complex issue. The heart of the problem is that Amerika as been complacent... has "allowed" its educational system to become more "baby sitter" than instructor. Asian kids HAVE to learn English as well as their own language. (We Amerikans are fortunate in that English is the "international language of finance", so we are not generally required to learn another.) Some Asian kids go to school 6 days a week and emphasize math as well as English... while Amerikan kids try to get by with "doing the minimum to be passed along to the next grade". The difference in American and Chinese culture is striking. In China, many children are screened for extraordinary abilities.... in many walks of life. Those with "apparent potential" are given the opportunity to prove themselves and to improve their lot in life. If they fail to live up to expectations, their state supported education and training is discontinued and they're shipped off back to the peasant countryside. The kids know it's "make it or break it", and give their maximum effort. American kids face no such challenges.
Investing into education is a painful exercise, especially its a hard sell for politicians as the potential pay-off is far in the future. There are no immediate benefits of improving highschools or universities while the higher bills and costs have to be paid immediately. Tough for the poor, but without education there is no upper-class future for someone in this world. In a couple of decades, a poor Asia country highschool kid will probably have a better understanding of science and math than their middle class European or Norther American counterparts.