McCain tries to 'kill' US-only clause

McCain tries to 'kill' US-only clause

www.news.com.au

REPUBLICAN Senator John McCain has introduced legislation to strip from a massive economic stimulus bill a "Buy American" clause that has deeply angered and worried US allies.

"I've got an amendment to try to kill it," Senator McCain, who lost the White House to President Barack Obama in November, said shortly after introducing the measure today.

A Senate vote on the amendment, which declares that "the utilisation of funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act shall not be subject to any Buy American requirement," could come later today or early tomorrow.

The European Union, Australia and Canada have attacked the "Buy American" clause, warning it could start a global round of tit-for-tat trade reprisals akin to the tariff wars blamed for deepening the Great Depression of the 1930s.

The measure bars the use of any of the more than $US900 billion being debated in the Senate to buy steel, iron or other manufactured goods from abroad for infrastructure construction projects.

(visit the link for the full news article)

When will the Americans understand that we are in the same boat? Having a law for “Buy American” is not going to solve the crisis. When the Sub Prime market crash in The US the whole world economy went down with it and any stimulus package will have to benefit the World economy not just the US. Would like your views on the “Buy American” policy…..

www.news.com.au
(visit the link for the full news article)

The "Buy American" idea is completely ludicrous! What many people on this forum don't seem to realize is it quickly becomes a 2 way street. The rest of the world isn't going to sit back and buy American exports. The backlash against the US will be legendary!

Companies like McDonalds, KFC, Hungry Jacks, Subway, Starbucks, Nike etc will struggle to make 1 brass razoo outside of the US and they wouldn't survive. Sure, most of these companies may be franchised and not all the money goes back to the US - but they wholeheartedly represent Americana and they WILL suffer, hence the US will suffer. That's just a microcosm for what will happen on a much grander scale.

"By American" is going to hurt Americans more in the long term!

People will rebel in other countries and so will their governments. Remember Freedom fries America? Well... you better eat em while you can!

IRM

[edit on 4/2/09 by InfaRedMan]

Although i do agree with the above posts on the vast stupidity of this clause. I can see why some people would want to have it. If they only buy American they will help boost the economy by providing jobs and needed funding for businesses to prosper.

On the other hand, you piss off the whole world and they stop buying American..the economy crashes.

If they remove the clause and buy only from abroad then you're not helping anything because it's just business as usual, everybody gets a little, nothing changes.

Now if we incorporate a little bit of column A and little bit of column B, we see compromise and boost in all directions.

~Keeper

What is American that you can buy besides food?

Example:

WHen airing up up one of the tires on my truck, the cap for it said in tiny writing, "Made in Indonesia".

Buy American...yeah right. Good luck in that.

On this one I agree with Mr. McCain. It is a nice sympathy and would not work in reality, especially since most of our industry is already gone. Besides that it does not go with the free market system.

Protectionism may sound good right now....but only in theory.

True, we need to pay more attention to creating jobs here instead of shipping them overseas. We need to support our country and economy by buying "Made in the USA" items instead of importing in everything that stocks the shelves of stores. We need to rebuild manufacturing here instead of letting the rest of the world take over what was once our stronghold.

But, we are part of a global economy now. If we cut other countries out, they will do the same to us and things will only get worse.

I think a little compromise would be good, though. Focus a little more on supporting our country and a little less on supporting everyone else's.

reply to post by asmeone2


Speaking of free market economy….. I think the US has given up on Free market Economy. The whole bail out itself is against free market and now adds protectionism into it is even worst. It is sad to see that some Americans think that they are the world….

reply to post by rattan1

"Buy American" is a nice slogan with a lot of populist support, but it wouldn't work in terms of international free trade. In theory it would be nice if we could put tariffs on imported goods, but, as has already been pointed out, there would be retaliation from other countries and we would have to answer to the World Trade Organization. If there was a way to slow down if not stop the offshoring of so many American jobs, though, that would be very desirable. Providing tax incentives for companies staying in the U.S. might help. We're rapidly losing what's left of our manufacturing base, but it would be good if we could preserve some of it at least.

I don't think that it's outrageous to try to spend as much of the stimulus money as possible at home. It's probably not possible for all of it, but as much as we can. If we bought American-made materials for all of our infrastructure work, for instance, it wouldn't be the cheapest way but it would give a huge boost to businesses badly in need, not to mention providing jobs. Americans will continue to buy Toyotas and Hondas and Kias and imported Chinese merchandise at Wal-Mart because they will want the most for their money, especially in hard times. But every American-made car sold, for example, puts money back into America. Most of the automakers buy their parts from overseas, so that international trade would continue as it has.

Whenever possible I try to buy American, but I can't always be sure if it is really American. A lot of items say "made in the U.S.A." by which they mean they're packaged and redistributed here, while they're often assembled overseas from foreign materials. Just as I believe in keeping most of my business with local merchants, I would like to support the U.S. as much as I can.

[edit on 5-2-2009 by Sestias]

reply to post by rattan1




Read the news it's not an isolationist move!

Oh this is ridiculous and I noticed more non Americans are complaining this is a stimulus package to get our country’s economy going not to get the whole world going it is meant to jump start ours not yours if you need help ask your own governments.

I see nothing wrong with the buy American only. This is only for the stimulus and the jobs and supplies that will be needed for the recovery of our economy the people are free to buy what they want from whom they want but for the large projects they should buy American.
What good is it going to do our economy if we outsourced everything while rebuilding our infrastructure?

Well?

Nothing! That’s right.

This is not isolationism it is simply an economic package designed to help jump start our economy.



[edit on 5-2-2009 by SLAYER69]

Originally posted by SLAYER69
reply to post by rattan1

 

Read the news it's not an isolationist move!

Oh this is ridiculous and I noticed more non Americans are complaining this is a stimulus package to get our country’s economy going not to get the whole world going it is meant to jump start ours not yours if you need help ask your own governments.

I see nothing wrong with the buy American only. This is only for the stimulus and the jobs and supplies that will be needed for the recovery of our economy the people are free to buy what they want from whom they want but for the large projects they should buy American.
What good is it going to do our economy if we outsourced everything while rebuilding our infrastructure?

Well?

Nothing! That’s right.

This is not isolationism it is simply an economic package designed to help jump start our economy.



[edit on 5-2-2009 by SLAYER69]

Agreed - IF its for economy we have a right - doesn't mean we won't still buy our NIKES, nails and tee shirts from abroad.

I know people are trying to make this out as if he is making it a law to buy only American.

I'll buy my concrete and steal from an American Company and I'll use my new American tools during the works projects and when I get paid I'll wake up and drink my coffee from Columbia and shave with my Braun electric razor buy a Sony TV and Samsung blue-ray player and drive to work in my new BMW get it?


[edit on 5-2-2009 by SLAYER69]