General Discussion

Zalatix

(8,994 posts)

89. Here's the facts. Facts, being something you do not have.

Mon Apr 16, 2012, 03:19 PM

Apr 2012

Japan's national debt is mostly held domestically.

The national debt that you generate when you import more than you export is foreign-held debt. You can shut down all domestic Government spending and that will not in any way slow down the growth of your foreign-held debt if you are importing more than you export.

If you are buying more goods than you are selling, your cash reserves are going down. Basic law of mathematics.

By the way a trade deficit ALSO devalues your country's currency. This is a fact that even the Federal Reserve understands. Do you? http://www.frbsf.org/education/activities/drecon/1999/9910.html

Of course America could defeat offshoring by devaluing its currency (printing a lot of dollars). We beat our debt at the end of World War II by inflating it away. It would lower the value of the dollar and make imports prohibitively expensive - a de facto tariff, if you will, without actually passing a tariff law. It would be exactly what China did to create the competitive advantage it has enjoyed.

Facts. You do not have them. Have a nice day!

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For our isolationistic nationalism loving DU'ers who want the world to be a bigger place [View all] RB TexLa Apr 2012 OP

Do you realize that most people have no clue who you're talking about? brooklynite Apr 2012 #1

Do you realize that every other nation is protecting its' markets? Vincardog Apr 2012 #2

No, most people want to connect with the bigger market. It's just a few that look down on people RB TexLa Apr 2012 #3

Hmm you should look at for example, the GERMAN MARKET nadinbrzezinski Apr 2012 #5

Elaborate please. dkf Apr 2012 #7

They do not call it that way nadinbrzezinski Apr 2012 #8

Very interesting. dkf Apr 2012 #9

Because it might give Americans ideas nadinbrzezinski Apr 2012 #10

Funny we may have designed a better way to do things just not here. dkf Apr 2012 #11

Germany had multi-payer prior to any World War. HughBeaumont Apr 2012 #69

Yes, but I m talking of the modern system nadinbrzezinski Apr 2012 #77

but Germany's isn't single payer, is it? Vattel Apr 2012 #130

Imports are 44.9% of the German economy, 14.6% of the US economy. pampango Apr 2012 #14

Facts are good... SidDithers Apr 2012 #20

How many of those nations are running a $46B monthly trade deficit? Zalatix Apr 2012 #29

None of them which goes to show healthy economies don't have to focus on limiting imports. pampango Apr 2012 #86

Germany's VAT refunds and tariffs on American cars are but a small sample of their protectionism. Zalatix Apr 2012 #93

It would be interesting to know the percentages of raw goods/resources exported and imported suffragette Apr 2012 #59

No, it isn't? Spider Jerusalem Apr 2012 #33

I'd like to see you give up your job to an immigrant or a poor Chinese worker Zalatix Apr 2012 #52

I'm sorry you can't read Spider Jerusalem Apr 2012 #54

You're the one with reading comprehension problems here. Zalatix Apr 2012 #56

H1B visa holders are not immigrants Spider Jerusalem Apr 2012 #60

Germany refunds the VAT for domestic products. The tariff issue is relevant. Zalatix Apr 2012 #61

No, they don't Spider Jerusalem Apr 2012 #64

Are you saying that the American Plan to protect American jobs and markets thru tariffs that worked Vincardog Apr 2012 #6

If every other country had tariffs in the post-WWII world mythology Apr 2012 #12

Most other countries DID have tariffs in the post WWII world Lydia Leftcoast Apr 2012 #17

Every other country was bombed back to the stone age in WWII. Get your facts straight. Vincardog Apr 2012 #80

Your "looking down on other people" argument is really silly Lydia Leftcoast Apr 2012 #18

Pretty much. JoeyT Apr 2012 #27

Most people want jobs. Foreign markets hate America and won't take our goods. Zalatix Apr 2012 #25

At least 13% of a $14T economy is exports. They don't want our goods RB TexLa Apr 2012 #31

We're running a $46 trade deficit MONTHLY. You won't respond to that. Zalatix Apr 2012 #32

There is nothing wrong with that. We have more money so of course we are going to consume more RB TexLa Apr 2012 #34

There is nothing wrong with losing 500 billion dollars a year? Are you insane? Elwood P Dowd Apr 2012 #37

People get something for the money they spend on imports. RB TexLa Apr 2012 #38

I don't think you have a clue. Elwood P Dowd Apr 2012 #41

I understand you want to make sure the US the 1% of the world keeps all that money. RB TexLa Apr 2012 #42

This message was self-deleted by its author Elwood P Dowd Apr 2012 #44

And I understand you want to give away our jobs AND our money to anyone not American Elwood P Dowd Apr 2012 #45

Do you understand the basic relationship between the trade deficit and the national debt? Zalatix Apr 2012 #46

Perhaps you can explain it, so that people can take you seriously mathematic Apr 2012 #70

The trade deficit adds to the national debt. Basic law of economics. Zalatix Apr 2012 #76

YOU have not explained it. You've merely linked an article you've misunderstood mathematic Apr 2012 #88

Here's the facts. Facts, being something you do not have. Zalatix Apr 2012 #89

Nice to see you're backing off your claim mathematic Apr 2012 #99

Nice to see that you're twisting yourself in a very confused knot. Zalatix Apr 2012 #102

You = not fooling anyone. nt Union Scribe Apr 2012 #65

Him = Still here. HughBeaumont Apr 2012 #98

Hardly Spider Jerusalem Apr 2012 #35

Then you are ignorant of our $46 billion monthly trade deficit. Zalatix Apr 2012 #48

Really? Spider Jerusalem Apr 2012 #49

The Euro is way, way down. Germany's running a trade surplus with us, too. Zalatix Apr 2012 #50

The Euro is at $1.30 and has been in the range of $1.28-1.35. Spider Jerusalem Apr 2012 #53

You left out the fact that Germany slaps big tariffs on US products... such as cars. Zalatix Apr 2012 #55

They also hit many of our products with a 20-30% VAT. If a German firm manufacturers the same or Elwood P Dowd Apr 2012 #57

Oh that's another important fact. But here's the most hilarious part about this argument Zalatix Apr 2012 #58

Germany has import duties of 10% on VEHICLES. Spider Jerusalem Apr 2012 #62

YOUR reading comprehension issues made you blind to the fact that Zalatix Apr 2012 #63

Foreign markets don't hate America. They buy plenty of our stuff. The US is the world's #2 exporter. pampango Apr 2012 #36

We run a $46 billion monthly deficit. Do you understand what this means? Zalatix Apr 2012 #47

I was responding to your post that "foreign markets hate America". That's wrong. I'm glad you've pampango Apr 2012 #100

If they did want our goods, as you claim, our exports would be far higher. Zalatix Apr 2012 #103

OK. We're the world's second largest exporter but "they" don't want our goods. pampango Apr 2012 #107

We have the largest trade deficit in the history of humanity. Reality, pampango. nt Romulox Apr 2012 #116

According to Simon Anholt Nation Branding index MichaelMcGuire Apr 2012 #67

How does the Simon Anholt Nation Branding index explain our $46 billion monthly trade deficit? Zalatix Apr 2012 #75

Simon Anholt Nation Branding index MichaelMcGuire Apr 2012 #78

Great. How does that explain the fact that America imports FAR more than it exports? Zalatix Apr 2012 #81

What it does explain is the 'American Brand' isn't the problem, with ratings like that (nt) MichaelMcGuire Apr 2012 #109

If the brand wasn't the problem then our exports would be much higher relative to our imports. Zalatix Apr 2012 #110

Do you realize that it's not going so well for them? ilovecolombia Apr 2012 #26

Who are these divisive people? You mean people that want Rex Apr 2012 #4

RB needs to take his fake free trade talking points to a US Chamber Of Commerce forum run by the Elwood P Dowd Apr 2012 #13

When you START with namecalling, A. no one listens to you, and B. you lose by default. saras Apr 2012 #15

Straw man alert on aisle seven! Lydia Leftcoast Apr 2012 #16

+1 LAGC Apr 2012 #68

Progressive countries trade (and import) more than us, not less. The reason they are progressive pampango Apr 2012 #19

I don't blame foreigners Lydia Leftcoast Apr 2012 #22

And they're in a big fat mess because of their trade deficits, too. Zalatix Apr 2012 #24

Channeling the ghost of Boojatta? Electric Monk Apr 2012 #21

Holy shit! Boojatta got PPR'd?! LAGC Apr 2012 #66

Another thread bashing American workers who want American jobs Zalatix Apr 2012 #23

I like buying locally to keep money in my community. Wtf does it have to do with intrntl borders? uppityperson Apr 2012 #28

The world is your community. RB TexLa Apr 2012 #72

My neighbors buy my services with the money I give them for theirs. eom uppityperson Apr 2012 #79

Bullshit. You can't go get a job to produce goods for China. The world is NOT YOUR COMMUNITY. Zalatix Apr 2012 #104

Speak for yourself Terry in Austin Apr 2012 #106

And you don't even see the irony of misusing "community" to limit who you are bound to. RB TexLa Apr 2012 #120

Why don't you just admit you don't give a rat's ass about American workers? Zalatix Apr 2012 #122

Because that is not true. RB TexLa Apr 2012 #126

It is true. This thread is all about YOU telling American workers to go suck it. Zalatix Apr 2012 #127

International trade creates jobs in America RB TexLa Apr 2012 #129

Tariffs create more. marmar Apr 2012 #131

International trade replaces high paying jobs with very low paying jobs. Zalatix Apr 2012 #132

If international borders are so artificial and unimportant, why can't people freely cross Bluenorthwest Apr 2012 #30

Europe has largely accomplished this, but things are quite progressive over there. pampango Apr 2012 #39

While you're going out to order a borderless society fantasy scenario Zalatix Apr 2012 #51

Never heard of the Romulan Neutral Zone evidently.. Fumesucker Apr 2012 #71

The EU exists. It is not a "borderless society fantasy scenario". n/t pampango Apr 2012 #87

The EU is not a borderless society. Try coming into there from China or India. Zalatix Apr 2012 #90

I consider the lack of borders within the EU to represent a "borderless society". If you want to pampango Apr 2012 #101

Yeah by that reasoning America is a borderless society. Zalatix Apr 2012 #105

I give credit to the EU for transforming a continent with 27 "borders" on the continent to 1 - pampango Apr 2012 #108

Your dream of a borderless world will end in utter disaster. Zalatix Apr 2012 #111

Thanks for the honesty about your feelings toward Muslims and Chinese. pampango Apr 2012 #112

I don't hate Muslims or Chinese any more than you hate American workers. Zalatix Apr 2012 #113

You know that pampango is out of intellectually ammunition when she begins race baiting. Romulox Apr 2012 #114

Pampango has nothing but contempt for American workers and he/she knows it. Zalatix Apr 2012 #121

It's fun to poke fingers in her tissue paper arguments...not a lot of thought seems to go into them. Romulox Apr 2012 #124

No, it has not. The EU has, to a certain extent. That is more analogous to our going Bluenorthwest Apr 2012 #74

Plus, the UK in particular has done a lot of replacing of British low-wage workers Lydia Leftcoast Apr 2012 #91

At what point does your Utopianism interface with modern America as it exists...in the Real World? Romulox Apr 2012 #85

"What went wrong" is that we used to have most of the policies that Europe still has. pampango Apr 2012 #95

And despite this massive imbalance, you devote 100% of your advocacy to expanding corporate power? Romulox Apr 2012 #115

What went wrong is the US never instituted publicly funded elections and is destroying itself. Selatius Apr 2012 #123

I'm with you Romulux. amandabeech Apr 2012 #96

The freep or News ran an article the other day about West Michigan towns devastated by the loss Romulox Apr 2012 #117

Thank you, Romulux. amandabeech Apr 2012 #118

Yay! More anti - US labor race to the bottom garbage. Edweird Apr 2012 #40

At what point does RB Tex LA realize this thread hasn't gone the way s/he expected? Zalatix Apr 2012 #94

You make a valid point I demand walls and moats with sharks and lasers on their friggin' heads. jp11 Apr 2012 #43

Yep, I don't know why he's still here either. HughBeaumont Apr 2012 #73

Do you realize that if a company can pay a child 10 cents a day DefenseLawyer Apr 2012 #82

Thank goodness most of the "professional leftists" have been driven from DU! Romulox Apr 2012 #83

For our intellectually lazy, ideology loving DUers who want to argue with strawmen only. JackRiddler Apr 2012 #84

I have here in my hand, a list of 80 isolationistic nationalism loving DU'ers who want the world to FSogol Apr 2012 #92

Get at me when the paper and pen takes away the borders TheKentuckian Apr 2012 #97

............ OhioChick Apr 2012 #119

Yep, and playing the "xenophobia" card from the bottom of the deck. As usual. HughBeaumont Apr 2012 #125

Yep Rex Apr 2012 #128