Interesting conversation on free trade:

[Deja Q]

Person 1 (in italics)

Person 2 (who responded)

India seems to be engaging in their own protectionism. How come they can and the US cannot? Or other countries; I do not wish to single out India, but globalization has been one symptom, of many, putting the US in its current economic crisis.

Yes, India is more protectionist. Heck, they were even MORE protectionist before Mr. Singh started instituting reforms that partially opened up their economy. The result was booming investment and booming growth.

We've been open for a lot longer than India, and we have LOTS to show for it. We are still one of the richest countries in the world.

You point to Indian protectionism as proof that we need to "protect" our own economy. I point to the same thing and ask "why would their economic policies be considered winners by any reckoning?"

India is VERY poor, and they can blame it on a "baby crib" jobs mentality. Dismantling the crib is what has started to change things.

This "trade war" some say we don't have. Others have suggested we've been in a trade war for some time due to poor quality products and services.

...and computers that are so cheap that it has created a situation where practically everyone has one (which helps you and me, as tech workers).

Yes, some companies have outsourced the wrong things. Even Dell had to roll back some of its outsourced support. I, personally, use an Internet-based bank that uses the money they would spend on bank offices on local support.

You have a choice. Outsourcing can be used badly. That does not mean that ALL outsourcing is bad.

If our economy goes down, theirs will currently follow suit. Is this "global economy" truly the vested interest in all countries? Or are they merely propping up everyone else until they see fit?

Yes. So why try to accelerate the process by causing global trade to plummet, thus whacking huge chunks out of global demand and trade?

More realize than ever before the interdependence of us humans. Stop playing this nationalism game, pretending that your country is any less dependent on everyone else.

I also deny "capitalism is a discipline" if it is about quantity over quality. Poor quality has harmed consumers, and it is claimed to have harmed the environment - which also harms consumers.

It isn't about quantity over quality. It is about getting the most value. Cost is part of that, but so is quality.

I have no complaints about my $600.00, quad-core 64 bit laptop with 4gb of RAM. I have plenty of quality, and I didn't have to pay $3K for it.

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What say you?

[Joanne98]

1. The medium income of American households has gone down every year since 1973

Free trade has been a curse.

[leveymg]

2. India's boom went bust. The only ones doing well now are the multinational corporations.

[Deja Q]

3. And even then, that's not going to last either.

A strong global economy is a prosperous one.

Americans, Indians, Chinese, Peruvians, everybodyelseians need a step up.

Maybe I'm naive, but I think it can be done.