Quote:
Originally Posted by Chip.B
3. China is not all Bush's doing. I believe alot of our issues with them started with Clinton selling them technology, however, there are some serious trade issues with them that need to be straightened out. How much poisoned pet food came over during his term? What about the led paint ordeal? It all happened during his time in office. Many of our jobs went overseas under his watch.
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You might say China started with Nixon, and jobs have been heading overseas for decades. I believe the number of jobs and infrastructure lost under Bushes term pales in comparison to the jobs lost in the 1970-80's.
rdret1 note on the steel industry is s good example. When 51% produced domestically qualified as Made in the USA things started heading out outside our borders. Then add that companies received Tax Incentives and Subsidies for Foreign Investment aka move your production offshore. And offshore sometimes entails floating factories, manned by slave labor 'just' outside US Territorial Waters that produce unmarked pipe and fittings that get/got stamped Made in USA.
As for all the tainted products like Chinese toys, drywall, milk, pet food etc.....The EPA and USDA only care when they (The Government and their lobby) can make a buck off it and either drive business to foreign countries -or- into the corporate consolidation scheme.
For example the EPA mandates that to work on houses built prior to 1978 you need to spend $350 to get lead certified, and the EPA will fine little ole me $35k for not following their rules.......but it is apparently just fine if China ships toys with lead on them and WalMart (and other chains) peddles them to your kids to naw on. And then there is the unlicensed Pickup Truck Contractor, the EPA doesn't know he exists and they don't care.....they only pick on the companies that try and do things on the up & up.
Aside from the Unions influence, part of the reason the steel/iron industries left our shore was in large part due to EPA Regulations and mandated clean up (the EPA Super Fund). So we shipped our 'toxic' industries off to China or 'just' across the border from Brownsville, Texas.
The USDA (as does Immigration) turns a blind eye to Don Tyson, but hammers the small farmer. Joe the Small Farmer sells some bad chicken, the number and area affected will be microscopic. Don Tyson ships bad chicken, it has the potential to reach many states and tens of thousands.
Incandescent light bulbs are being taken out of production for more energy efficient fluorescent 'Mercury' filled light bulbs made in China......when did Mercury become Green Friendly and EPA compliant?
It is all madness.