General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: How utterly @#$%ed up is it that two-thirds [View all]JDPriestly
(57,936 posts)the agreement if that nation's trade balance becomes too negative.
We should have flexibility in our trade policy. Right now we are seriously in the red. That means that other countries can buy (and are buying) our assets with the dollars they earn from us but we have less and less leverage in terms of buying assets in other countries.
Our trade policies are foolhardy. Sure. I have credit cards just like the US has a credit account with other nations. But if I buy more on my credit cards than I can pay back, I end up on the streets. Explain to me how that can be different for a nation?
Right now, our credit cards or our credit in the international markets and especially with certain countries like Saudi Arabia makes us subject to their economic pressure. They could bankrupt us any time they would like. We are stupid to allow ourselves to buy more on our credit cards with foreign countries. That is no way to make friends. That is not the policy of a country that wants to be or fancies itself a world leader.