Tom
Rakesh Bhandari wrote:
> Tom wrote:
>
> >Naturally, our concern for foreign standards of living is in our own
> >self-interest in that foreign standards create demand on a world wide scale.
>
> Really? Proof? To the extent that the US increasingly exports capital goods
> higher consumer demand may not be that much of a stimulus; actually such
> stimulus may deprive the US of fire sale consumer goodies and raw materials
> that have power fueled its boom. Moreover, deflationary periods tend to
> make mandatory the kind of innovatory investment in fixed capital by which
> US high tech, capital goods heavy xports may be best aided.
>
> >On a more altruistic note, free and independent labor unions are the basis of
> >any modern democracy. Besides they raise living standards too.
>
> Barkley would remind you of the rapid growth of the open shop in the US,
> esp. in the construction industry. The governing body of the WTO will only
> apply sanctions in order to serve the imperialist and geopolitical
> interests of its most powerful states, i.e., US threatening to invoke non
> application against China in order to win wrench more concessions in the
> socalled services, property rights, etc. The quad group (US, Canada, EU,
> and Japan) will continue to decide issues first and bring them before the
> WTO. The role of the US union movement can be nothing more than provision
> of its imprimatur on arbitrarily imposed sanctions or 'non-applications.'
> Hoffa and co are only aiming to be junior partners in a new social
> imperialism, having now stoked the nationalism of its rank and file to new
> heights.
>
> Yours, Rakesh