Europe vs. Clinton, Edwards and Obama | 66 comments (66 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)

And, further, for much of the ... (4.00 / 3)

... "fair trade" agenda, one of the most direct paths to some of the desired reforms is through organizing a coalition of stakeholders, where the support of EU members would be critical.

Indeed, automatically labeling opposition to the NAFTA-model corporate wealth agreements as "protectionism" would seem to be a symptom of a chronic form of the Anglo-disease when it spreads among intellectuals.

I've been accused of being a Marxist, yet while Harpo's my favourite, it's Groucho I'm always quoting. Odd, that.

by BruceMcF (agila61 at netscape dot net) on Sun Jan 6th, 2008 at 09:40:09 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: And, further, for much of the ... (4.00 / 3)

To specify the argument, I think Edwards is the one most likely to succumb to pressure from special interests (labour organisations and industrialists) to raise tariffs, and you can't easily raise tariffs just on China, you have to raise them across the board.

The EU will not like tariffs.

On the other hand, I like the potential an Edwards presidency offers to rearrange the institutions and terms of international trade. But we'd have to form a common understanding to do that, and it's crucial do so very early in his eventual presidency.

by nanne (zwaerdenmaecker@gmail.com) on Mon Jan 7th, 2008 at 05:04:51 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: And, further, for much of the ... (4.00 / 4)

Couple of years ago, US administration (Bush) increased tariffs on some products. EU commision took it to WTO and got a license to counter. It then raised tariffs on key products exported by swing states. US quickly backed down.

It was a short trade war which I remember mostly by the tariff on swedish gingerbread cookies.

Sweden's finest (and perhaps only) collaborative, leftist e-newspaper Synapze.se

by A swedish kind of death on Mon Jan 7th, 2008 at 07:01:01 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: And, further, for much of the ... (none / 0)

Yes, I remember that. I think it was only the threat of retaliatory duties that made the US back down.

by nanne (zwaerdenmaecker@gmail.com) on Mon Jan 7th, 2008 at 07:13:51 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: And, further, for much of the ... (none / 0)

It was mainly about steel, as I remember it. The tariffs did last for about two years and did their job for Bush, politically.

by nanne (zwaerdenmaecker@gmail.com) on Mon Jan 7th, 2008 at 07:19:01 AM EST
[ Parent ]

It is very unlikely that he will succumb to ... (none / 1)

... pressure. The question is very much which way he will elect to go, since there is far more than enough countervailing force against crude protectionism to give wide leeway to a President who wishes to satisfy anti-globalist sentiments.

For example, a fight to reform WTO environmental exception treatment to allow a simple ban on tuna fished with the worst dolphin killing nets would attract so much support from various members of the anti-globalist coalition, and take the wind from the sails of a crude protectionist drive. And there is always the recourse to a "hard" negotiation with China to raise their exchange rate against the dollar ... where if it were not to the extent that it involves an increase of the value of the Renminbi against the Euro or the Yen, could well be gained as a victory trophy.

I've been accused of being a Marxist, yet while Harpo's my favourite, it's Groucho I'm always quoting. Odd, that.

by BruceMcF (agila61 at netscape dot net) on Mon Jan 7th, 2008 at 10:28:41 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Europe vs. Clinton, Edwards and Obama | 66 comments (66 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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