Mon, Lynn and Bankaw, I am trying to address all these issues in my blog, us-consumer.com, which is drawing rave reviews from my habitual readers. I cannot blog more than once a month and the information and arguments I advance are therefore being absorbed by my readers very slowly. But that appears to be working to my blog's advantage because my readers are always hungry for more and they have more time to digest the information I dispense.
I am careful, however, that I do not prolong the wait. The information I dispense could also drip into their subconscious so slowly that they in effect fall into the T. S. Elliot trap: "I have measured out my life *in* coffee spoons.") I don't want my readers to get their info in tiny bite sizes chased by their liquor in coffee spoons. I make sure that the underlying philosophy of my Proposed New American Doctrine is never lost on them. And what is that underlying philosophy? First, trade must be beneficial to all countries that participate in it. Second, net foreign trade must be at or close to zero, i.e., imports must be nearly equal to exports. In the 1960s, net foreign trade in the U.S. was only 4% of GDP. This meant that U.S. exports were only slightly bigger than U.S. imports. Third, no country must be allowed to export its unemployment by creating massive unemployment in other countries, which is what China is doing to the U.S. Fourth, the ability to sell one's products in a foreign market is not a right. It is a privilege, and it can be taken away by the host economy's government if the trade has proven to be predatory. Fifth, American Consumers are the greatest economic engine in the world. Any country or multinational that sells in the American market is on notice that Americans will no longer allow unfettered access to that market under rules prevailing in the 20th and earlier centuries. Trade rules must change in this, the 21st century, and access to the American market is conditioned upon whether such trade creates jobs in America. Sixth, and lastly, the further globalization of the globalized economy requires that all countries in the community of nations benefit from such globalization. Most countries must be given a chance to achieve the near-zero trade balance (exports roughly equal to imports) and must be encouraged to have a policy similar to the proposed New American Doctrine. That is, 51% of all manufactured products (with rational exceptions) sold in a country must be made in that country. For example, if Toyota wants to continue selling in the Philippines, 51% of all its car sales must be made in the Philippines, within reason of course. If the U.S. wants to continue selling its airplanes in the Euro market, 51% of its products must be made in the Euro countries. And, if China or multinationals that manufacture almost exclusively in China want to continue selling in the U.S., it must make 51% of their products in the U.S. I believe that if my proposed new American doctrine succeeds and enough countries adopt similar policies, the world's wealth will be spread more evenly and will benefit more of the 7+ billion people that inhabit the planet. I will soon post my December entry which will further expand on the points I have raised above. C On Thu, Dec 13, 2012 at 7:30 PM, Ramon Franco <[email protected]>wrote: > Hi Chay, Yes I agree with you and you are 100% correct. But that are the > facts of life. Unfortunately, there will always be winners and losers. It > is called competition, it is called the capitalist system and it is also > called the law of diminishing returns which an advanced economy like the > U.S and even Australia has approached or is approaching. The only solution > in a capitalist system that we have is for society and its representatives > to try to balance things out. To try to innovate and improve their > competitiveness. To encourage and teach everyone to become rich. A race to > the top, not the bottom. Is the glass half full or half empty? One cannot > be extreme right or extreme left as it does not work and only creates more > pain, just look around. The rich you will always have and the poor you will > always have. An advanced society, whose representatives do their jobs (and > not be the idiots they are now) will try to balance these two extreme > sections of society and make it fair for everyone by keeping the gap > between the two as narrow as possible. Unfortunately that is not what is > happening, no matter where in the world one looks. There are only two > choices, one, we learn to live with what we have and make the best we can > under the circumstances and try to narrow that gap as much as possible with > out killing one group or the other as both are needed as we are all in one > boat in this planet and without consumers, you won't have capitalists or > vice versa, chicken or the egg? Or two, go back to the dark ages of > communism, which failed miserably and nobody wins. It is a difficult > choice and I do not envy those in charge to what they have to do. It is the > problem that has existed since time began and will continue to do so. > Ramon > =============================== > > On 14/12/2012 1:28 AM, Cesar Lumba wrote: > > > > Mon, > > In the old days, what was good for General Motors was good for America. > Today, what's good of Apple and other large American multinationals is > not necessarily good for America. In fact, in some cases it may be bad for > America. Apple makes virtually everything it sells in other countries, > mainly China. Since it is a trend-setter, a lot of other companies have > been emulating Apple. The result has been the wholesale flight of > manufacturing jobs from the U.S. to other countries. This long-term trend > is one of the causes of high unemployment in America. We can't replace > lost manufacturing jobs with service and retail jobs fast enough because > the economy can absorb only so many malls and competing service > establishments. This is illustrated brilliantly by what has happened in > Nevada, where malls that opened in the last five to six years have retail > tenants scratching their heads because the malls are not attracting enough > shoppers. > > It is true that when McDonald's stock does well, a lot of Americans > benefit. But those are the investor class. 47% of Americans do not pay > taxes because they are not making enough and are living hand-to-mouth. > They have no investments and do not benefit from the successes of blue > chip stocks like McDonald's. A lot of the remaining 53% of Americans are > no longer in the investor class. Companies in the U.S. have been cutting > their contributions to 401k's, and the 401k's themselves have become 201k's > so there is much less incentive for average Americans to contribute to > their companies' plans. > > The rich, who typically make money on investments, are making out like > bandits while the poor, working poor and the middle class are being > hammered by low wages and actual and feared unemployment. > > Let us not celebrate McDonald's success in China. It is another way for > the Chinese to have more jobs and yet another way for the rich in America > to become even richer while the poor, the working poor and the middle class > continue to languish in their dead-end jobs. > > C > > > > On Thu, Dec 13, 2012 at 12:59 AM, Aquilino Alcantara < > [email protected]> wrote: > >> >> mon f ... I have always thought that the goal of a company is to make >> money for its stockholders continuing a business that is sustainable ... >> meaning continues to make a profit ... meaning income is more than expenses >> ... >> >> if its stock can be bought and sold in the open market, then people buy >> their stocks and make a profit as well ... >> >> as long as companies do not do anything illegal then there supposed to be >> no problem ... if the market in US has not been saturated, they will >> continue to expand ... but it does not prevent them from going overseas ... >> >> yes? ... no? ... oh well ... balc >> >> *From:* rfranco88 <[email protected]> >> *To:* [email protected] >> *Sent:* Wednesday, December 12, 2012 3:33 PM >> *Subject:* [HS59LaSalle] Re: A large order of unbelievable McDonald's >> facts - Page 12 - Photos - Yahoo!7 Personal Finance >> >> I thought McDonalds is an American company. I would be investing in it >> as it is recession proof and their returns are steady and predictable >> (people have to eat) and the share price not too volatile. What is good for >> McDonalds is good for America is not anymore true? Then forget it. The >> problem is not China, the problem is in America. A race to the bottom, the >> US$ is fast becoming monopoly money (worthless). Too much printing. Even >> the Aussie dollar is more valuable, which is crazy. Ramon >> >> --- In mailto:HS59LaSalle%40yahoogroups.com<HS59LaSalle%40yahoogroups.com>, >> Cesar Lumba <lumbacesar@...> <lumbacesar@...> wrote: >> > >> > This news helps McDonald's, but not Americans. The jobs that will be >> > created will be Chinese jobs. We're still behind the 8-ball in our >> > dealings with China. If there is a Chinese fast-foods conglomerate that >> > will open one franchise every day for three years in the U.S., most of >> our >> > unemployment problems will be solved. >> > >> > C >> > >> > >> > >> > On Tue, Dec 11, 2012 at 10:02 PM, Ramon Franco <remek-67@...><remek-67@...> >> wrote: >> > >> > > ** >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> http://au.pfinance.yahoo.com/photos/photo/-/13507164/a-large-order-of-unbelievable-mcdonalds-facts/13507198/ >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > >> >> > __._,_.___ > Reply via web > post<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DLSHS59/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJxaG5oODZ1BF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzEzMTc3Njk5BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTA3NzYyNARtc2dJZAM3NzczBHNlYwNmdHIEc2xrA3JwbHkEc3RpbWUDMTM1NTQwODkwMw--?act=reply&messageNum=7773> > Reply > to sender > <[email protected]?subject=Re%3A%20%5BHS59LaSalle%5D%20Re%3A%20A%20large%20order%20of%20unbelievable%20McDonald%27s%20facts%20-%20Page%2012%20-%20Photos%20-%20Yahoo%217%20Personal%20Finance> > Reply > to group > <[email protected]?subject=Re%3A%20%5BHS59LaSalle%5D%20Re%3A%20A%20large%20order%20of%20unbelievable%20McDonald%27s%20facts%20-%20Page%2012%20-%20Photos%20-%20Yahoo%217%20Personal%20Finance> > Start > a New > Topic<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DLSHS59/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJmZjM3bW9yBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzEzMTc3Njk5BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTA3NzYyNARzZWMDZnRyBHNsawNudHBjBHN0aW1lAzEzNTU0MDg5MDM-> > Messages > in this > topic<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DLSHS59/message/7773;_ylc=X3oDMTM1bHY3Z2M0BF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzEzMTc3Njk5BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTA3NzYyNARtc2dJZAM3NzczBHNlYwNmdHIEc2xrA3Z0cGMEc3RpbWUDMTM1NTQwODkwMwR0cGNJZAM3Nzcz>(1) > Recent Activity: > > > Visit Your > Group<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DLSHS59;_ylc=X3oDMTJmNnJzMzVoBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzEzMTc3Njk5BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTA3NzYyNARzZWMDdnRsBHNsawN2Z2hwBHN0aW1lAzEzNTU0MDg5MDM-> > [image: Yahoo! > Groups]<http://groups.yahoo.com/;_ylc=X3oDMTJlYnVhbTIzBF9TAzk3NDc2NTkwBGdycElkAzEzMTc3Njk5BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTA3NzYyNARzZWMDZnRyBHNsawNnZnAEc3RpbWUDMTM1NTQwODkwMw--> > Switch to: > Text-Only<[email protected]?subject=Change%20Delivery%20Format:%20Traditional>, > Daily > Digest<[email protected]?subject=Email%20Delivery:%20Digest>• > Unsubscribe <[email protected]?subject=Unsubscribe> • Terms > of Use <http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> • Send us Feedback > <[email protected]?subject=Feedback%20on%20the%20redesigned%20individual%20mail%20v1> > . > > __,_._,___ > > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Center for Good Governance" group. 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