We "have to be competitive"? FINE. Let's compete with EUROPE.

[elehhhhna]

And Canada. Not the third world.

We want HEALTHCARE. Pensions. A safety net. Reasonable frikkin working hours/pay/conditions. Affordable education. Feel free to add to the list.

[HopeHoops]

1. That won't work. Europe and Canada tend to deal with things differently than we do.

They like things like fair wages, responsible environmental issues, and shit that WalMart doesn't approve of. The best way to fight is to buy local when you can, and at least regionally. I'll buy from Canada for Mexico before China. The prices are pretty much the same - it is just how much they employ slave labor and ignore environmental and product safety concerns that differs.

[FreakinDJ]

2. It pains me to buy ANYTHING made in China

any fucking corrupt regime that would take young women out and put a bullet in the back of their head can just Go to Hell

[Mojeoux]

12. Agreement to the MAX ! nt

[elehhhhna]

3. ikickmyself

[bbinacan]

4. We see how well

that's working in Europe.They're more bankrupt than we are.

[girl gone mad]

5. Two things.

First, neither Europe nor the USA can go bankrupt.

Second, several European nations are currently outperforming us economically.

[bbinacan]

7. Sure we can go bankrupt.

And I wonder why some European countries are outperforming us.

[girl gone mad]

8. U.S. national debt is owed in U.S dollars.

The U.S. has the ability to print unlimited dollars. We can never go bankrupt.

We can default by choice, but our politicians have clearly indicated that they will default on Social Security bonds long before defaulting on any other debt, so no bankruptcy in our future. Just an ongoing slide into third world poverty and wealth disparity.

Germany maintains its high wage socialist economy on the strength of exports. This is the result of intelligent manufacturing policy (private and public) and a good exchange rate negotiated upon entrance to the EMU. Some of the European states that were hurt by this exchange rate can and should default and return to sovereign currencies.

[bbinacan]

14. That's what the Weimar Republic thought. n/t

[girl gone mad]

16. Weimar's debts were owed in gold and foreign currencies.

Our debts are owed in dollars.

No comparison.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

11. The healthier European economies are the ones that kept their financial sectors on a tight leash

The ones that are unhealthy (Ireland, Latvia, Iceland, Greece, Spain, the UK) are the ones that let the banksters run wild.

Germany, the Netherlands, and the Scandinavian countries other than Iceland are doing great, as are Canada and Australia.

[Confusious]

9. Hardly

Germany is still in the black, and those countries have less debt then we do.

[pampango]

6. We do import almost as much from Europe as from China: less from Mexico than from Canada.

Our trade deficit with the EU ($61 billion) was greater than with (Mexico $48 billion).

In 2009 our imports were:

China - $296 billion
EU - $282 billion
Canada - $226 billion
Mexico - $177 billion

http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/c6021.html

If Europe (which imports more from China than the US does) and Canada aren't afraid of trading with the Third World, why should we?

[elehhhhna]

15. we can trade with china, but not our frikkin JOBS.

[white_wolf]

10. Why compete with them?

when we are already ahead of them in the most important areas of all. Military spending, and the number and power of rich people. Don't you know that those two things are far more important than silly things like health care, and reasonable wages? :sarcasm:

[ck4829]

13. K&R