Sunday, February 27, 2011

Dancing skyclad befor the alter of Free Trade

So my anarcho-capatalist Libertarian friends continue to prance nekkid before the holy alter of Free Trade, see HERE

And yes, they are correct in that tariffs stifle growth, and economic growth (in the end) trumps all. Of course, corporate taxes also stifle growth, as do consumption taxes, construction taxes...

I still maintain that if you are going to tax, it's far better to do it on imports than on corporate profits. Tax corporations too highly and they just move offshore, tax imports to highly and people might pay more, but they start making stuff here.

Now maybe, just maybe, my friends are taking the long view. After all, if you pursue unrestrained "free" trade with China, eventually you have no jobs left, and thus no taxpayers. That's a rather long term method of starving the beast, and it's awfully rough going, but I suppose it would work out in the end.

Competition wise, it's not the wage difference either, it's China's refusal to float their currency, and the stifling regulations we have here. OSHA, EPA, Sarbanes-Oxley etc. are not designed to destroy American industry, that's just a "beneficial side effect". In fact, pretty much anything a government does is BAD for the economy, bad for growth, and bad for jobs.

Regardless, I did my part to support international trade this afternoon:
I needed some stakes to stake my trees, so I bought some steel T posts at Lowe's. They were lousy quality, but it was all they had, and of course they were made in China.

I also needed a new lamp for my bedroom (also made in China)

I also found some lightbulbs (China again) but I put them back and found some different bulbs made in the U.S.A. (sorry guys)

As an aside, how did that happen? I thought these days we just sat around in a circle and sold each other financial products.

Anyway, for those who actually WANT to buy stuff made here, Sylvania still makes light-bulbs in Pennsylvania., so shop accordingly.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

The Rising

Leprecon is May 6th through the 8th.

Seanan will be our Music Guest of Honor. Because Seanan is our guest, I have been tasked with writing at least 2 zombie themed songs before the con.

BRAAAANZ.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Thought for today

Today's thought on the Budget:
"We have finally run out of other people's money."

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Tree planting

Lemon tree very crispy and lemon flower is dead,
Lemon tree, there's no saving, so I'll dig it up instead.

Global Cooling managed to get my Eureaka Lemon tree. Fortunately it was less than a year old (and I save my tree receipts). Lowes gave me my money back, but had no citrus in stock yet, Home Depot did though.

Ended up buying a Meyer Lemon. Now the Meyer lemon is not a true lemon, rather it is a rather slutty citrus that climbed in bed with a mandarin sometime back in history. Still they are very popular, though a touch sweater than a true lemon.