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Lowflyer
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2006 - 06:53 pm: | 
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There are problems with that to be sure, but the same was said of Japan throughout the 70s and 80s. This is why it is important for us to save, invest, innovate, and reduce our debts. What is a bigger worry for me in all of this is not the purchase of truckloads of frivolous Chinese knick knacks and crap, but the percentage of it purchased on credit. I am more worried by their owning our debt than how much crap we buy from them.
I don't indulge in enough left-wing propaganda to opine on the Bush family's ties to the Saudis. Hell, I just learned the other day that some people don't believe that Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon. They think Cheney shot it down and fired a cruise missile painted like an airliner into the Pentagon to cover up the shootdown.
(Message edited by lowflyer on February 22, 2006) |
Lowflyer
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2006 - 07:11 pm: |
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Gay cowboys account for 25% of all orange Uly's sold in the US. |
Dragon_slayer
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2006 - 07:33 pm: |
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Ladies, Lowflyer is acting up again. Give it to him.
Thank you Ladies. See you next time! |
Lowflyer
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2006 - 07:42 pm: |
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Ahem..make that 26% of all orange Uly sales in the US.
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Dragon_slayer
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2006 - 07:49 pm: |
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Crusty
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2006 - 09:09 pm: |
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Gay cowboys account for 25% of all orange Uly's sold in the US.
and 75% of all black Ulys sold? |
Lowflyer
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2006 - 09:23 pm: |
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No, just the orange ones. |
Lorazepam
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2006 - 09:35 pm: |
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uselyssxb12x
I wish I could give a link to it, but it is in my email. If you sign up for their web alerts, you get them all the time. |
Jim_sb
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2006 - 11:06 pm: |
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Hello Lowflyer,
Yes, our economy has been resilient, in spite of the "twin deficits". I am amazed that long term interest rates remain so low given this economic climate. I feel like as a nation we're binging on deficit spending and one day there will be a price to pay for this behavior.
Undoubtedly we have profited substantially already because of cheap foreign labor - whether the work is done overseas or done stateside by illegal aliens.
I didn't think this particular issue was job loss (or creation), but rather a moral one (do you want to send your hard earned $$$ to an oppressive regime?).
Some classes of our populace are experiencing disproportionate unemployment and they are mightily displeased with this scenario. Many tradesmen have found that they make no more money now than they did 20 years ago - the influx of cheap labor (immigration, legal and illegal) has made it difficult for them to improve their standard of living. Inflation has actually eroded their standard of living over time. It is difficult to expect the working class to be able to adapt to survive in the face of an onslaught of cheap foreign labor. Not everyone has the skills or abilities to start their own business and create.
I think as we continue to outsource manufacturing jobs overseas we will slowly come to rely more heavily on our trading partners. It is a dangerous game with high stakes.
Of course the corollary is they will rely more on us for their jobs at home - since we will be funding much of their hoped for prosperity.
The reason they own our debt is because we buy so much from them to begin with. They've got to figure out what to do with all those dollars they've got stashed in a pile.
Globalization is going to be the hot topic of this century. Small nations around the globe are developing rapidly - the changes in Korea alone the last 20 years are remarkable.
It's going to be very interesting.... |
Blake
| | Posted on Thursday, February 23, 2006 - 12:08 am: |
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"I didn't think this particular issue was job loss (or creation), but rather a moral one (do you want to send your hard earned $$$ to an oppressive regime?). "
Exactly. Thank you.  |
Lowflyer
| | Posted on Thursday, February 23, 2006 - 10:17 am: |
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Right, everyone has an angle on this issue. |
Lowflyer
| | Posted on Thursday, February 23, 2006 - 10:58 am: |
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Jim,
I was addressing the job creation/loss angle because I can't argue the moral oppressive one. This is not because I don't have an argument, rather the 'moral-oppressive' thing is simply too emotional. Emotions are, for the most part, and as demonstrated in this forum many times, irrational.
You make some excellent points. |
Jim_sb
| | Posted on Thursday, February 23, 2006 - 11:57 am: |
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Lowflyer,
The bottom line is our current free trade approach may be the best solution. Or not.
I view it as a "carrot vs. stick" approach. The free trade status is the carrot, whereas the boycott approach is the stick.
I think from a motivational standpoint both the carrot and the stick are good tools to accomplish positive change when used properly.
Blake, I must confess, I buy stuff that says "made in China". I respect your efforts to take a stand for positive change, but perhaps Mr. Clinton's free trade approach is going to be better in this instance.
In the meantime I do agree with Lowflyer that over time the free trade approach will cause their economy to become more dependent on the US and in that light they may be more willing to act on our social concerns.
It also improves the standard of living for many Americans - which is in no small part responsible for the tremendous success of companies like Wal-Mart.
A great concern of mine is the loss of so many manufacturing jobs to overseas locations with cheap labor. Much of the success of our nation has come from our ability to build things and to create. As long as we can maintain open market type trade relationships with our trading partners things should be peachy.
But should the terrorists attack and severely damage our ports, or should our trade relationships become strained then the loss of manufacturing capability will be painful for us.
Tough issues to be sure without a clear course of action.
Best,
Jim in Santa Barbara |
Lorazepam
| | Posted on Thursday, February 23, 2006 - 12:04 pm: |
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If terrorists were going to damage out ports, they have the same opportunity to do it right now. Having a new company do scheduling at the ports isnt going to change the security one bit.
My new Uly tank bag is made in china, as well as the wheels. As time goes on, you wont be able to buy a tire for your motorcycle that isnt made in china.
I guess it is good to boycott whenever you can, but you will do with out lots of things if you refuse to buy from china. |
Thunderbox
| | Posted on Thursday, February 23, 2006 - 12:07 pm: |
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Okay everybody. I thought this topic was about a lift at Harbor Freight.
Time to let the rhetoric go. Start a new post elseware and lets get on with the purpose of the forum. |
Jim_sb
| | Posted on Thursday, February 23, 2006 - 12:10 pm: |
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PS. My concern for our ports pre-dates the current political firestorm over this port management contract.
Specifically I have a fear that terrorists could sneak in some type of explosive devices in containers that might cripple our ports in some fashion. Especially since we know some of the countries that despise the US are working on developing nukes.
I don't know enough about this port management deal to comment on it either way.
The good news is we have a LOT of ports here in the US, and knocking out some of them would be very unpleasant, but if we're good at anything it's adapting and overcoming obstacles.
Best,
Jim in Santa Barbara |
Royintulsa
| | Posted on Thursday, February 23, 2006 - 01:14 pm: |
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Gay cowboys account for 25% of all orange Uly's sold in the US
First of all, there is no such thing as a gay cowboy. They do not exist. For you who are wannabe cowboys just follow the instructions below.
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Lowflyer
| | Posted on Thursday, February 23, 2006 - 01:18 pm: |
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The reason free trade is so important is that it creates a sort of interdependency among trading partners. In a perfect world, the more trading partners we have, the safer we become. Granted, we don't live in a perfect world, but that is no reason to give up.
I am very worried about our harbors as well. The freight containers are lifted out of the ships and onto trains where they roll right through the bread basket here. It paints a bad picture in my head for the harbors, the freight, and the country as a whole. However, I see the only peaceful way to deal with it is to raise the standard of living around the world and to foster that economic interdependency. The fulcrum point for us though is in managing our foreign debt and the rate of personal indebtedness; not necessarily our trade deficit or outsourcing of manufacturing. |
Lowflyer
| | Posted on Thursday, February 23, 2006 - 01:22 pm: |
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"First of all, there is no such thing as a gay cowboy. They do not exist."
Dragon_slayer,
Can you set Roy straight on this? He says you aren't a cowboy.
Thanks,
Lowflyer
(Message edited by lowflyer on February 23, 2006) |
Dragon_slayer
| | Posted on Thursday, February 23, 2006 - 07:13 pm: |
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Roy, I am a boy from a "Cow Town", not a "Cowboy". Now Lowflyer has other fantasies about me so it's time to set him straight. Low, the guy below has something he wants to say to you!
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Dragon_slayer
| | Posted on Thursday, February 23, 2006 - 07:38 pm: |
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Oh yea, I forgot, must get back to subject. Both USA made lifts look very nice and I am sure most people would be pleased with them. For my $600 - 800 dollars I will continue to lay/sit on the floor and spend the money on a mechanic's helper like this!
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Lowflyer
| | Posted on Thursday, February 23, 2006 - 11:28 pm: |
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Dragon_slayer
| | Posted on Saturday, February 25, 2006 - 10:46 am: |
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