by Jack
Complicated trade agreements dating back 16 years with the World Trade Organization could derail Trump’s plans to do a number of things, from building a wall which he says Mexico will pay for, to bringing back lost jobs from low wage countries. Sure, what he says sounds great, but unless he’s got magical powers I’m not convinced that what he’s saying is anything more than pure BS.
Of course we would like to see more jobs coming back to America! We want to see more dollars spent on buying American goods and for American services. We want control over our nation’s border with Mexico, but it’s not something that can happen over night like Trump implies. Where’s his plan? Saying “Trust me, I can do it.” is not a plan.
As for the trade agreements, it’s taken us decades to get in this fix and even under the best leadership we can only do some much without risking a depression or destroying the trust of our allies. Trump must know this, and what does he think he can do to force Mexico to pay for a border wall? That one is almost funny. The Donald scares me with his wild-eyed grandiose promises that greatly exceed the ability and authority of a President of the United States. Maybe a dictator could pull it off, but not a president operating within the law and the Constitution.
The United States has free trade agreements in force with 20 countries. These are:
•Australia
•Bahrain
•Canada
•Chile
•Colombia
•Costa Rica
•Dominican Republic
•El Salvador
•Guatemala
•Honduras
•Israel
•Jordan
•Korea
•Mexico
•Morocco
•Nicaragua
•Oman
•Panama
•Peru
•Singapore
*China
We’ve also signed on to NAFTA, the Asia-Pacific trade agreement, also known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement and we have the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-TIP) with the European Union. These trade agreements were difficult to bring about. They are complicated and we didn’t enter into them on a whim. The have significant economic consequences if we try to unilaterally back out of any of them.
Trump better start educating himself on the challenges of what he proposes to do, because if he tries a slash and burn approach to any of these contracts the US could find itself in a trade war with the world’s largest economies.
We voters are delusional if we think that any candidate for President can deliver on campaign promises. Unless he’s willing to work outside of the constitutional limits the President can propose but he cannot unilaterally not dispose. Campaign promises are meant to tell us what the new president will propose.
Trump says he will renegotiate trade deals. to accomplish that he will have to talk all parties in each trade into the idea that a renegotiated deal would be better for them as well as America and that will take time.
Trumps says he will build a wall and get Mexico to pay for it. I haven’t followed his every word. has he said they would pay for all of it? If so that was a mistake unless he really knows he has a mega bargaining chip or something they can’t resist. One way or another he will have the ability as president to speak with and negotiate with other countries, including Mexico.
And, Obama has set the bar very low in terms of executive orders…
All I know is we would be destroyed by Hillary’s or Bernie’s economic plans and we can’t count on the republican elites to derail proposals from socialist fundamental transformers. I’d still take The Donald over either of those two.
If it was a choice between either of the democrat candidates or Trump…I would have to say, “Howdy President Donald!”
If Trump uses executive orders to fulfill his campaign promises the Democrats will have the impeachment process underway within his second year. They won’t have to deal with being accused of hating the president because he’s a black man like the Republicans did every time Obama overreached his powers.
I too have been hearing The Donald can’t force Mexico to pay for the wall by increasing the tariff on imported goods. In addition to the agreements already in place it’s the American consumers who will be paying for the wall through increased prices for those goods by every shopper at Wall Mart, Target, etc. Mexico won’t pay for the wall Americans will with higher prices. I wish people would understand businesses do not pay taxes. They are tax collectors from the consumers for the gov’t.
If the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act was the major factor for causing the Great Depression why would voters even consider voting for a president who is campaigning to do the same? Trump’s speaking level has been evaluated at the 5th grade-level, which I think is an indication of his comprehension level too. School yard bullies are not known for having high IQs.
I know we don’t want Hillary either, but I honestly don’t think she will avoid being indicted either before or after the election and won’t serve out her first term.
This is more like it.
Anyone who believed Trump when he said he could make Mexico build a wall and pay for it should refrain from voting. It’s laughable on its face. John Oliver had a lot of fun with the idea recently:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vU8dCYocuyI
Peggy: “They won’t have to deal with being accused of hating the president because he’s a black man like the Republicans did every time Obama overreached his powers.”
Well, Trump could always claim that they don’t like him because he’s orange. 😉
Can we get a big “This is more like it” for Obama, either Clinton, or Bernie for ignorant policy or errors in judgement?
Speaking well and having good teleprompter skills does not guarantee smart or workable policies and decisions. The last 7 and 1/2 years prove it.
Isn’t orange the new black?
Get used to it guys, any of the choices we have will, if they win, be targets for criticism, resistance and derision. The next president will not have an easy road.