Made in the USA

[RJP]

The US is no shining example of a free trade supporter itself...

Wouldn't know it based on the aisles and aisles of $7 Aussie Shiraz's you can find over here...

 

[Sas]

What they usually don't say, but is inescapably true, is that with no barriers to technology transfer and capital movement, unfettered free trade will inevitably equalize wage levels.

Only if there are no restrictions on the movement of labour, so for this to happen free trade would have to be coupled with completely open borders.

 

[Sas]

Wouldn't know it based on the aisles and aisles of $7 Aussie Shiraz's you can find over here...

The U.S got the better deal in the FTA by a long way... but perhaps Australia's wine producers did ok

 

[vladimir]

Only if there are no restrictions on the movement of labour, so for this to happen free trade would have to be coupled with completely open borders.

Think about the radiologists in India who now read x-rays taken in Massachusetts. A radiologist in the US makes about $300k. In Bangalore, $60k. (Educated in the United States, by the way.) That labor doesn't have to move physically, he can supply his labor to the US while living in India. The same thing with call centers, programmers, derivative traders (me), etc. Yes, people who pick grapes have to be near the crop, but that is an increasingly marginal portion of the world economy. The models in your textbooks are increasingly irrelevant.

 

[Sas]

Think about the radiologists in India who now read x-rays taken in Massachusetts. A radiologist in the US makes about $300k. In Bangalore, $60k. (Educated in the United States, by the way.) That labor doesn't have to move physically, he can supply his labor to the US while living in India. The same thing with call centers, programmers, derivative traders (me), etc. Yes, people who pick grapes have to be near the crop, but that is an increasingly marginal portion of the world economy. The models in your textbooks are increasingly irrelevant.

I don't consider the local service industry insignificant.

Text book models have always been irrelevant.

 

[vladimir]

I don't consider the local service industry insignificant.

Thanks--my point exactly. The only jobs whose wages would resist global equalization would be local service jobs that couldn't be electronically outsourced, and only in countries that restrict immigration. Can you say, "Would you like fries with that?"

 

[Sas]

Thanks--my point exactly. The only jobs whose wages would resist global equalization would be local service jobs that couldn't be electronically outsourced, and only in countries that restrict immigration. Can you say, "Would you like fries with that?"

There are many many things that can only be done locally not just maccas service

I don't actually see wages equalising as a problem though (and true free trade is unrealistic because people never look long term). Was just pointing out that you did not address labour specifically in your original point and that it is not as simple as you implied.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Back to the original topic-I believe the Freedom Plate is 100% American made...unless Eric is one of those sneaky Canadians living here undercover.

And the name, Freedom Plate, it even sounds American...

That is correct, 100% made in the US of A by my two hands. And I am 100% native born American.
I named it the Freedom Plate just so I could piss off all the leftists in California.
The only thing I can't vouch for is the stainless. Could be China, Germany, or USA.
If I had control over that it would be USA all the way.

 

[Sas]

That is correct, 100% made in the US of A by my two hands. And I am 100% native born American.
I named it the Freedom Plate just so I could piss off all the leftists in California.
The only thing I can't vouch for is the stainless. Could be China, Germany, or USA.
If I had control over that it would be USA all the way.

When it comes to trade I would consider protectionists to be on the left actually judging by all the lefties that protest globalisation. How does it feel to be an leftie?

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

When it comes to trade I would consider protectionists to be on the left actually judging by all the lefties that protest globalisation. How does it feel to be an leftie?

You got a point with the anti globalization. But they are anti everything including big business. The only thing big business is good for in their minds is a cash cow to pay them more welfare.
I personally don't buy into the leftist eutopia.
A person can be a protectionist and an anti globalizationist and not be a leftist.

Wow! calling somebody a leftist. That's almost as bad as asking someone from Philly if their from Jersey or vise versa.