[navyblue]

Do you really think that if we ordered American companies not to make things overseas, our consumers would pay more for the American made product rathert than buy imports?

Well first, we can't order American companies not to make things overseas. Second, do you really think you're gonna get those goodies at a cheaper price because it's made overseas?

In your dreams! It will go to the bottom line.

[maui_hawaii]

Well first, we can't order American companies not to make things overseas.

Nor should we. We SHOULD however seek to create the most valuable areas of trade possible. That won't evolve by itself. Right now we are not doing it.

Second, do you really think you're gonna get those goodies at a cheaper price because it's made overseas?

In your dreams! It will go to the bottom line.

Absolutely. You are not citing my quote btw. Thats Common Tator's line, which I quoted in a response.

The first rule of trade should be "our suppliers are our buyers"

When that gets out of whack we have a problem.

Our investments should create new markets for our goods. Now, thats not really the goal.

[CasearianDaoist]

Well, this is of course not true. In the defense industries we have very strict laws about what a company can do overseas. There are also very strict ethical laws as well. For instance, General motors cannot open up cat houses in thailand, they will go to jail. So in a strictly legal sense you are wrong. But that is really beside the point. Limiting this practice in fact could be done by tax disincentives, export import laws, patent law and liability laws and of course tariff.

So what eer one feels about the issue, it is vlearly untrue that there is no recourse for nations states in the matter. I will point out that many of the other countries involved have serious restriction going the other way.

And there are informal practices. We for example, informally required the Japanese to undertake "voluntary quotas" and build plants over here.