Thread: Bush 29, Chavez 5

The 5 that disagreed are all that matter, the rest are small fry nations like, caribbean islands and such, always willing to ingratiate themselves with whoever is powerful and in charge. 180 million people live in Brazil, and truly that country is all that matters in the big picture. Venezuala of course too, but they will never be with "us". cheers glenn

bush is a loser. Next time elect the quarterback instead of the male cheerleader.

Originally Posted by rebellady1964

I guess free trade IS winning to Bush and his big corporate buddies. It must mean lots more for their pockets and bank accounts. With my pay being cut $6.00 to $8.00 per hour, which took effect yesterday, I can not see how trade agreements have helped anyone but the big guys in this country.

Yea, that's why I voted for Ross Perot too... I think he got about 19% of the vote, which was pretty respectable for a 3rd party candidate.

Here's what Paul Krugman wrote recently.

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http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-12207.html
News Stories from ALIPAC Members - The Big Squeeze - Tue Nov 08, 2005
Paul Krugman, New York Times

What if neither education nor health care reform is enough to end the wage squeeze? That's the possibility that makes free-trade liberals like me very nervous, because at that point protectionism enters the picture. When corporate executives say that they have to cut wages to meet foreign competition, workers have every right to ask why we don't cut the foreign competition instead.

I hope we don't have to go there. But denial is not an option. America's working middle class has been eroding for a generation, and it may be about to wash away completely. Something must be done.

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I like that line in there ("workers have every right to ask why we don't cut the foreign competition instead")...

I read another interesting article which stated that all we need for a strong economy are the following 2 things:
1) limit foreign competition
2) make sure there's plenty of domestic competition by breaking up monopolies and helping small businesses

Small businesses are good for job creation as well as innovation... So, I say, we cut out the foreign competition.

Besides we're not really competing and trading with China... I read somewhere that about 60% of the goods we get from China are actually American-brand goods... So, in actuality, U.S. companies have just moved production to China... Probably, the reason why we can't have tariffs is that it would cut into the corporate profits of U.S. companies.

http://www.gonewiththeworld.com/lonemsg.php?msgid=79
"In summary, Batra's recipe for returning middle-class wage growth is a combination of historically natural (pre-1970's) levels of protectionism mixed with stronger anti-trust enforcement to prevent oligopolies and monopolies from forming. This gives us the best of both worlds: protection from the onslaught of cheap slave-like 3rd-world labor, and the benefits of competition. We can thus have our cake and eat it too."

I'm definitely NO fan of Chavez, but I really hope he helps in the defeat of this hideous trade agreement. The Bush propaganda machine is in full force I see from this article up top.

Agreed, dman!! I HATE to think I'm pulling for Chavez but I sure am on this issue. I would just LOVE to see Bush lose this little battle.

Lost Mummy wrote..(quote):Besides we're not really competing and trading with China... I read somewhere that about 60% of the goods we get from China are actually American-brand goods... So, in actuality, U.S. companies have just moved production to China... Probably, the reason why we can't have tariffs is that it would cut into the corporate profits of U.S. companies.
This is EXACTLY what I told our Asst. plant manager yesterday! I also told him that these companies may be competing with China for REAL now. After all, these companies have trained the Chinese to manufacture our products and now the Chinese are breaking away from American companies and starting their own companies and building the fine furniture that was once the life blood of the area I live in. I told him that our company was competing against the same companies it competed against for years, the only difference was that they were doing it in China now! But no, I am just a stupid hillbilly who does manual labor for these high and mighty college graduates who know everything! (So they think). Well, I've got news for them, the manual laborers know WAY MORE about the products we build than these lily white, soft handed executives will or could ever know! By the way, I quit today. I told them what I thought about the company and their greed and I am now employed(starting Monday) for a Canadian furniture company. I am still taking a cut, but it's 5 minutes from my home, no more 45 min. commute to work one way each day. Plus the insurance is cheaper and better. I was gonna work until Friday, that was until we had a company meeting today when they announced that some more of our benefits are being cut out and the retirement fund is now "frozen"! I thought a few days off might be nice anyways! Also, I wrote on my ticket sheet,( the one I turn in everyday to show how much work I produced and how much I earned for that day)," Please donate this day's pay to our head man, *****, here at *****, a few million a year will not support his family properly, so he can have my day's pay to help out" I bet they are on fire right now![/b][/quote]

Go, rebellady1964!

And, you can tell them I second it! This area is being shipped away right before our eyes and those greedy people who have come in from SOMEWHERE else have RUINED the lifeblood of our economy. When these furniture plants and textile mills were owned by the FAMILIES, they took care of their employees. They actually KNEW their employees AND their families in a lot of cases. In fact, a lot of the families ALL worked for the same companies. But, it was when they started selling out to the BIG, GIANT YANKEE Corporations that things started going downhill--FAST. Sorry, any Yankees out there!!!

I'm so glad you found something else and I hope everything works out for you. You are one of the FEW in this county who have found DECENT jobs to replace the ones that have flown off to CHINA. I HOPE all of this BACKFIRES on these companies. They are FOOLS if they expect to deal with a communist country and come out on top. It will come back to slap them in the face and we will sit back and just LAUGH. They deserve all they get.

Thank you, Bootsie! And AMEN to everything you said! I used to be proud to work for a family owned furniture company, it felt like home. Now, it feels like I am in a communist country with a rifle pointed at the back of my head, pressuring me to do more and more for less and less. I Thank God for sending me this new job and I hope this company treats it's employees better than the one I just left. I am losing over $4.00 on the hour but that is better than $8.00, and I am closer to home. I have a way, when it comes to being a true American, I get my point across! Just ask my fellow employees, I have been their teacher about the illegal immigration problem in this country and about corporate greed. I wear my ALIPAC t shirts I made proudly to work at least 3 times a week, and I repeat this daily, "Go to www.alipac.us and read up on what is happening to our once great country, then join the fight"! Some tell me that I am too bothered by what is going on, but my response to them is this, "It's that attitude, that we the little guys can't do anything about what is going on this country, because of the big guys, that's keeps this mess happening! If Americans would get off their butts and fight back, this would end!"

Good for you, rebellady. If ALL Americans would stop being so complacent and just TAKE A STAND, we could take our country back. I just feel that in my GUT. You are a true patriot and ACTIVIST!!!

This must be the "I voted for Ross Perot" thread.

Yes I'm guilty I voted for him and for Buchanan instead of George ll, the first time, but I really had to hold my nose and vote for Bush the second time. The alternative was too ugly to bear.

Never again....Tancredo would be the exception for either of these corrupt parties.

Maybe Dobbs would run on a third party ticket.

Good luck with your new job rebellady1964, it sounds like a better choice.

Thanks, Darlene. I'd rather work for a company out of Canada that is trying to make things better for it's employees rather than an American company who has sold out to China, and is ripping apart the lives of the employees who built this company's great reputation! I hear Canadian companies are better to their employees anyway!