EU attacks 'Buy American' clause

reply to post by Emipie


Okay, then why doesn't Europe keep their end of the bargain and give us free trade?

We can't keep giving goods overseas and sending jobs with nothing in return.

We got imports from China but look where that got us- we found out they weren't safe and we recalled them.

Europe needs to give us something in return.

And to Pjotr- you can't keep blaming the US for all of your problems. It's not a fault of the system. It's a fault of the people who ran our governments-- yours too for not seeing this and not taking steps to prevent it.

DetachedIndividual-- face it. This financial collapse could happen even if we weren't there. You can't assume that

[edit on 3-2-2009 by Frankidealist35]

reply to post by Illusionsaregrander


You're missing my point on this entirely.

I am not saying that America shouldn't get out of this agreement. I AM SAYING THAT WE ALL SHOULD!
It should all be rewritten. It is outdated and no longer sustainable in the current crisis.

America, right now, is refusing go by the rules of the agreement because this rule doesn't benefit America.

It is still going by the rest of the agreement, just not this rule because there's more profit for America in ignoring it.

And for your info, I am not simply hating on America. That's incredibly narrow minded and unjust.
I would be just as angry at my own government if they failed to go by the regulations THEY'D AGREED with the EU because this one or that one didn't benefit them.

Please don't resort to petty insults.

It's a fault of the people who ran our governments-- yours too for not seeing this and not taking steps to prevent it.

The people we elected, reelected and re reelected and then the people they recycled and recycled and recycled.

Just the irony of how we want to throw out bad CEO's but are willing to keep bad leaders who led us to this point is amazing.

Since the start of the crisis, we had a mail going around here that kind of made me smile at first, but in fact is sadly the truth.

It goes like this, i'll try to translate it to my best effort :

An young and unemployed guy wanted to start his day early,
and had set his clockradio (made in Japan) to wake up at 6.00

While his koffee-set (made in China) was running,
he electrically shaved (made in Hong-Kong) his beard.

Then pulled on his best shirt (made in Sri Lanka) and his tie (made in Malaysia),
put on his new jeans (made in Singapore) and put on his Nike's (made in Korea).

After preparing a hot meal at noon in his microwave (made in India),
he took his calculator (made in Mexico) to see how much he could spent that day.

After checking the time on his watch (made in Taiwan), he listened to the news on the radio (made in India).

Then he got to his car (made in Japan), filled it with gasoline (from Saudi Arabia), and took off to look for a well payed job in his country.

After a long day with no results, he arrived home and checked his mails
on his pc (made in Malaysia), while he enjoyed a glass of wine (from Chili).

At night he sat in his sofa (made in China) watching his tv-set (made in Indonesia),

..... wondering why he could not find a well-payed job in his own country....

Originally posted by Frankidealist35
Does Europe think they're the center of the world or something?

This may be a valid point if it was put forward by anyone else on this forum but from the guy who started this thread??? >>>>> "Why do we have to rule the world".

Come on!!!




1) The WTO agreements were put in place for the benefit of all members and members who gained should have to follow those obligations through good and bad.. thats what an agreement like this is about.

2) The US made massive gains from this agreement, I understand the problems that the US are in at the moment are pretty big, but the US government spent a ridiculous amount of your money on weapons and war. They wasted your gains.

3) Almost half of the countries in the EU are also in recession.. its not like the US is on its own there.

4) Its only a complaint!! And it hasn't even been made yet.. so its only a suggestion of a complaint... or even just a theory about the possibility of a complaint being made. Nothing to get worked up over.

reply to post by detachedindividual


By buying american, it will help us employ workers here in the USA that don't have jobs. The unemployment is pretty high right now. So how would letting some of this money, if it was spent on european goods, help american workers? Europe is just being greedy and they want part of the bailout money as well. We aren't going to spend our money helping european countries, we're spending it with the hope of maximum gain for the US economy and workers. Maybe europe can make a similar "bailout bill" with no stipulation on where it can be spent, then we might follow suit. That would be fair as america would buy some european goods and vise versa.

reply to post by ghaleon12

By buying american, it will help us employ workers here in the USA that don't have jobs.

Of course, there is no guarantee that this will be the case.

We don't know how many projects fall under this clause. Furthermore, will the money really trickle down to workers or will company work with a skeleton crew to maximize profits? As of late, companies have done the unthinkable when it comes to money given to them by the government.

Originally posted by munkey66
So the US has got fat off the Hard work of other countries and now don't want to play by the rules they agreed to in the first place.

I'm sorry, but these people in other countries want to look after their families as well! and the sale of things like steel will keep them employed.

The mighty US of A isn't the only country struggling now with unemployment and hardships.

You made your bed, now you sleep in it.

How has the US gotten fat off of globalization and the WTO? It's hollowed the country out as far as I can tell.

Honestly if this is the way it's going to be, lets just pool all of our money together and become communist. Like I said before, when other countries match the USA bailout bill and put some debt on their books, then we can start talking.

reply to post by ghaleon12


If the USA stop buying from china wouldn't that cause huge problems for china? Would china then dump the dollar in favor of gold and cripple the US.

Can the EU see the US as a sinking ship and use this as an opportunity to sever ties ?

Is the UK sitting on the fence pandering to both sides looking for the winner ?

One last question, when these countries borrow huge sums of money to bail out banks, who exactly are they borrowing from ?

The UK just borrowed X billions to bail out banks, they couldn't have borrowed it from the EU or USA because they're skint. Where's the money coming from ?

Please help my ignorant little mind to figure this out .

The free trade agreements from the beginning were benefiting developing countries, Americas corporate sector and greed, but th America worker and America industrial base started to die.

Because the profiteers of all this were doing so well we the American people got the short end of the deal.

While Developing countries with far less than acceptable human rights rules got bought out by those that enjoyed those standards of living for profits..

The VAT TAX, Destroying America's Ability to compete

America cannot compete in Global Markets because of the Value Added Tax (VAT). This tax exclusively and unfairly increases the cost for American exports and subsidizes foreign exporters for their goods entering our country.

Foreign governments collects VAT Tax rebates of $218.2 billion while American producers were taxed $122.4 billion in 2006, it contributed to a staggering trade deficit of more than 4708.5 billion in 2007

www.economyincrisis.org...

Any member in congress that voted for this agreements were all nothing more than traitors to our nation.

Sadly most of them are still in congress and within the Obama administration.

Originally posted by munkey66
So the US has got fat off the Hard work of other countries and now don't want to play by the rules they agreed to in the first place.

I'm sorry, but these people in other countries want to look after their families as well! and the sale of things like steel will keep them employed.

The mighty US of A isn't the only country struggling now with unemployment and hardships.

You made your bed, now you sleep in it.

Uh, in the case of China, they made us "fat" by manipulating their currency so that the Yuan and the dollar would never balance out, which would balance the trade deficit. It's ruined our manufacting base so I would hardly say its a fair deal. They have risen out of poverty and found work for the billion+ people there.

[edit on 3-2-2009 by ghaleon12]

reply to post by moocowman


Is not that America will stop buying from developing countries the problem is that as the American consumer lose their jobs and America keeps declining economically, is not money to buy anything anymore

If our government is going to put a use tax payer money to rescue the American economy is doesn't take a genius to see that allowing the stimulus to go oversea will not do anything but add more burden and hardship on an already stressed nation.

To legally void a contract or agreement, you simply have to show that it does not benefit one of the parties. Everything else is fruitless rhetoric.

If you are financially harmed by an agreement the agreement no longer legally exists.

Having said that, protectionism is a stupid course that no one in their right mind would support. We saw what its fruits are during the Great Depression. Is the current Administration stupid enough to repeat that mistake. Of course they are Look at the Presidential Appointees they are trying to sneak by Congress.

One thing we could do is stop the programs that employ 1.5 million non-Citizens in the US each year. A two year moratorium on just that would restore 3 million American jobs. These are not grunt jobs. They are skilled positions.

We should continue trade with the whole world but we are not obliged to give other countries citizens our jobs here inside the US as we are currently doing. Any country demanding that would be transparently using us and have no credibility.

reply to post by Blaine91555


And that is one of the things that have me all upset with Obama, even if he by itself and his plans for the country sounds nice and dandy he is surrounding himself with the same traitors that has sold our nation.

Sometimes I wonder why in hell the trash gets to get recycle every presidential term.


[edit on 3-2-2009 by marg6043]

you would have to imagine that even America would want to get rid of as much US dollars as they could over seas before it is only good for toilet paper.

reply to post by marg6043

If our government is going to put a use tax payer money to rescue the American economy is doesn't take a genius to see that allowing the stimulus to go oversea will not do anything but add more burden and hardship on an already stressed nation.

Can't say I disagree but it does beg the question, if the idiots that have been running the USA (equally so UK) hadn't tried to take over half the planet wouldn't you guys be a little better off?

In regards to china, I cannot help thinking that all the stuff that has been sold overseas has been manufactured by mainly poor people. These poor people are not going to be that much worse off if they loose a chunk of their orders.

Unlike the US UK and Europe, millions of Chinese can just up and return to their rural way of life of substistance farming/fishing etc, which they have been doing for centuries, they can always feed themselves.

We can't do this, we don't have land or expertise, the fat cats have got us by the balls it would seem.

Our company put up for bid yesterday 104 million tons of steel to be used in the US for the 3rd quarter. We have been out manuvered for the prices the last few years that procurment finally decided to put the engineering cost in the bids. Nobody can beat US steel for cost and QUALITY!!! and finally thats where the numbers will lay.

mikell

I just have to ask a question.

Why do you people want us to stop buying American goods?

So you absolutely hate the fact that we are making people buy goods from our own country?

I'm amazed at how wrong headed some get about world affairs. Look what happened as our Market fell and the Dollar weakened. It hurt other countries worse than us. Russia had to close its Markets to stop a total collapse and China fared not much better. When most of your customers are Americans you need them financially healthy to support your production of goods and services.

If we fail, there will be a lot of unemployed people and closed factories on this Planet. You can't buy foreign made goods without money. Whether we like it or not we are part of a global economy and our survival benefits others in the same way their survival benefits us.

It is time for the muscle flexing and name calling to stop and for our leaders to sit down together for everyone's benefit. If a trade agreement is not working trash it. If a Treaty does not benefit both sides throw it in the fire and move on to something that does work.

reply to post by mikellmikell


Thanks. It would be interesting to know more details about that?