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f'ing hilarious.
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| Shakka |
Pot, meet Kettle.
Linktastic
| quote: | The Real Benedict Arnolds
By James K. Glassman
Posted: Monday, March 8, 2004
ARTICLES
Scripps Howard News Service
Publication Date: March 8, 2004
Sen. John Kerry is fond of calling CEOs who employ foreigners “Benedict Arnolds,” after the despicable Revolutionary War turncoat.
But look at H.J. Heinz & Co., the family business of Kerry and his wife, Teresa. Of the 79 factories that the food-processor owns, 57 (a felicitous number!) are overseas. According to its website, Heinz is making ketchup, pizza crust, baby cereal and other edibles in such countries as Poland, Venezuela, Bostswana, China, Thailand and India.
Put hypocrisy aside. The traitors to American interests aren’t CEOs seeking to boost profits that ultimately lead to more hiring at home. The real Benedict Arnolds are Kerry and his colleagues in Congress, like Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Jon Corzine (D-NJ), who understand enough economics to know that outsourcing is trade and that trade--as David Ricardo figured out 200 years ago and as Hillary’s husband articulated in the 1990s--benefits both parties.
Imagine if U.S.computer companies were forced to make all their components at home. The cost of computers would be higher, so U.S. business could not enhance productivity, grow and hire workers. Plus, U.S.computer makers would be priced out of the market and forced to fire workers.
So far, legislation backed by Clinton, Corzine and the rest has been fairly benign. But they have fanned the flames of protectionist anger, and the fire is raging out of control. One result could be a reversal of the global movement toward open trade, which has been a boon to America.
This is a good time to remember the 1930 Smoot-Hawley Act, which touched off a tariff war that cut global trade by more than two-thirds in five years. Smoot-Hawley, in the view of many economists, intensified and prolonged--and perhaps even caused--the Great Depression.
But there’s more immediate way that the outsourcing hysteria hurts American interests: It is antagonizing India, one of our most important allies.
Indians are angry and bewildered by what’s happening here. India had been the world’s most prominent example of autarky, a backward policy of protectionism. Partly because of pressure from the United States--and partly from observing the economic success of smaller countries like Singapore and South Korea--India has eased that policy in recent years.
Imports and exports have soared, and India’s growth rate has doubled to 8 percent. The world’s largest democracy, with a population of one billion, is getting more prosperous, creating what could ultimately become the best market in the world for American goods and services.
Meanwhile, India has been critical to American foreign policy. The war against terror forced us to lavish aid on India’s arch-rival, Pakistan, and a nuclear war between the two countries over disputed Kashmir seemed possible. But peace is now closer, and despite provocations, India has proven a steadfast ally.
Now, many Indians feel they are the scapegoats for America’s cyclical economic downturn in what they see as a racist campaign. Isn’t this the way trade works? "On the one hand you talk about opening up our markets. On the other, you want to ban . . . outsourcing,” said India’s deputy prime minister..
In fact, the business processes (or BP) work that Indians do for companies worldwide is a “good thing,” as Gregory Mankiw, the head of President Bush’s Council of Economic Advisors had the temerity to say, like the little boy who couldn’t help but speak the truth while his elders were telling lies. (“This simple restatement of the logic of liberal trade brought derision down on Mr. Mankiw’s head,” wrote The Economist. And from, among others, Corzine, the former CEO of Goldman, Sachs!)
As the BP sector waxes, India becomes a bigger market for “Dell personal computers, Cisco switches, and Avaya telecommunications equipment,” writes Rafiq Dossani of Stanford in Outlook, an Indian magazine.
It would be understandable if the Indians threw up their hands and said: “Fine! We’re going back to our mercantilist ways, and forget about cooperating on foreign policy.”
Yes, trade does cause some hardship, which the U.S. must address through job retraining and aid for displaced workers. But constraints on trade cause much more pain, threatening to poison our relations with key allies and plunge the world into another depression. That is no exaggeration.
Patricia Hewitt, the British trade secretary, recently accused U.S. politicians with “playing politics with people’s jobs and prosperity.” It’s worse. At a time when leaders should be educating Americans about the benefits of trade, Kerry, Clinton and the others are putting America in peril. |
Somebody get me some popcorn--this election is going to be a great show!
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| Heinz |
u gotta problem with heinz?? becuase we can take care of this outside mr. kerry.
that was stupid of him to say? but i kind of still say, ANYBODY is still better than bush. is there anyone better than kerry? we need bill clinton back. he was a good pres. a playa, good pres., and under him, the world wasnt so intent on killing america. or reagon. they should have froze kennedys body. he would have been good pres. |
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| biznology |
| quote: | Originally posted by Heinz
u gotta problem with heinz?? becuase we can take care of this outside mr. kerry.
that was stupid of him to say? but i kind of still say, ANYBODY is still better than bush. is there anyone better than kerry? we need bill clinton back. he was a good pres. a playa, good pres., and under him, the world wasnt so intent on killing america. or reagon. they should have froze kennedys body. he would have been good pres. |
what? |
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| NeoPhono |
| It makes no difference if a Republican or a Democrat is in office. They're all the same people with the same politics. If you're hoping for some kind of monumental or even significant change in America if Kerry is elected, I have a bridge I want to sell you. |
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| smokeape |
Kerry is a friggin' who married into money. Plus he was a supporter of the traitor whore bitch Jane Fonda who graces the bottom of every urinal in the VFW with her lovely face for a target... Yeah, let's talk about military service and disservice when the conversation arises next.
:whip:
[[[smoke]]]
Smoking tune for the addicts:
Firewall - Sincere (Lange Vocal) |
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| Shakka |
I just find it ironic and extremely funny that the guy is standing on his pulpit preaching about jobs going overseas when his wife's (and financial lifeline) company is about as bad as it gets when it comes to sending jobs overseas. I mean 57 out of 79 Heinz factories are located overseas! Puts him in an awkward position (like the backseat of a Volkswagon). I'm curious how he'll deal with this if it gets much attention.
And nobody commented on the John Kerry/Gomer Pyle pictures. Oh well.:sadgreen: |
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| imokruok |
| quote: | Originally posted by Shakka
And nobody commented on the John Kerry/Gomer Pyle pictures. Oh well.:sadgreen: |
The Gomer Pyle picture caught my eye first. I thought it WAS John Friggin' Kerry! |
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| rupert |
| quote: | | It makes no difference if a Republican or a Democrat is in office. They're all the same people with the same politics. If you're hoping for some kind of monumental or even significant change in America if Kerry is elected, I have a bridge I want to sell you. |
On that I wholeheartedly agree.
The real difference between George W and his clique compared to other US leaders is that Bush and Co are more honest.
Ever since Dubya decided to invade Iraq people are saying look at these crazy extremists in the Whitehouse acting unilateraly looking after their corporate buddies. Uh hello, even the Clinton administration was committed to regime change in Iraq, except Clinton and co didnt have the bottle to do it.
All the politicians get most of their money from big business, they might say different things on the campaign trail, but when they are in office they all do pretty much the same thing, look after the corporate interests that put them in office in the first place. |
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| arctic |
| quote: | Originally posted by smokeape
Kerry is a friggin' who married into money. Plus he was a supporter of the traitor whore bitch Jane Fonda who graces the bottom of every urinal in the VFW with her lovely face for a target... Yeah, let's talk about military service and disservice when the conversation arises next. |
Just out of interest, other than a photo of Kerry about five rows back from her at an anti-war rally, is there actually any evidence to back up this claim? |
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| Q5echo |
The HEINZ 57:crazy: Get it?..57 out of 79...huh...yuk yuk
man i'm bored |
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| Shakka |
| quote: | Originally posted by Q5echo
The HEINZ 57:crazy: Get it?..57 out of 79...huh...yuk yuk
man i'm bored |
haha! Good catch! I always thought it was for the 57 varieties, but I guess it's for the 57/79ths of factories that are non-U.S. employed.:haha: |
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| Renegade |
| quote: | Originally posted by rupert
All the politicians get most of their money from big business, they might say different things on the campaign trail, but when they are in office they all do pretty much the same thing, look after the corporate interests that put them in office in the first place. |
Precisely:
Bush = Evil
Kerry = Less Evil
And while we're at it:
Nader = No Chance
Gary Nolan = Who the is Gary Nolan?
Everone else = Communists or gun-nuts.
Perhaps we should find our own TA candidate? I mean, if we can get 20 of our friends to vote for him/her, and they can all get 20 of their friends to vote for him/her then we have a chance right? |
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