Into the mind of etucker1959 (Mercantilism)

[etucker1959]

My 2 cents, It will take a little bit of everything to improve the economy and then we might START paying off the national debt.

Trade agreements with foreign countries need to be renegotiated(Only issue I like Trump over the other canidates on).

They have already taken money out of several programs as Dev mentioned, more is required(unemployment, politicians and government jobs IMO)
No more paying someone $50k a year for not working because they can't find another job making 100K a year, put solid limits on the amount of unemployment and how long it lasts. Studies show(apologizes for not having a reference) That 3/4 of all persons receiving unemployment get jobs within 2 weeks of their unemployment being cut off regardless of the length of time they were unemployed (no one wants a job when they know they can get money without one!)

More importantly we need to increase the GDP, make it easier for businesses to make money and you can lower tax rates AND increased revenue.

Secure the borders, I'm not saying kick all of the Illegals out, I like Documenting them, and putting them on some type of probation, follow our laws and pay your taxes and your welcome to stay. Obviously we need limits on immigration, we are no longer the land of limitless resources we thought we were when we said "Give us your weak and tired.." If They break our laws NO jail time(other than between arrest and court date), Pay an appropriate fine for non-violent crimes and stricter probation terms, Deport immediately for violent crimes or inability to pay for the fines unless a death penalty is warranted in that case we will do there home country the honors.

Here is the long and short of what I'm trying to say:
1. Increase our GDP by putting more Americans to work, and allowing Domestic business to compete with foreign ones by increased tariffs and more reasonable regulations
2. Manage foreign work visas in a way that benefits our Businesses without hurting the american workers.
3. Make a plan to reduce spending where we can, not just steal money from one program to support others that are failing.
4. Set a deadline for balancing the budget, We can't just do this all of the sudden even if Washington could agree we needed to.

The government needs to look at this just like you or I would look at our families budget.
You have your income,
You have things you HAVE to spend money on,
You have outstanding Debts,
You Have things you want to spend money on,

If there isn't enough Income to cover the Needs, and pay down a reasonable amount of your debts, you either make more money, Cut expenses or both.

It really is that simple, what isn't simple is how... That's where the great debate is:

Libs Say increase taxes will solve our problems, They are wrong.
Conser. Say Free up the economy and lower taxes, That will only leave us right where we are.
Bernie say take all the rich peoples money and give it away and force companies to pay their works double, That is just Lunacy, and war will ensue.
(Or we will at least lose what jobs we have left to foreign countries and our GDP will suffer immensely, leading to running out of money to give away, leading to war...)

We need to do a little bit of everything, there just isn't one solution to the problem. The first thing that needs to happen is the working class needs to knuckle up and get jobs, bust your *** at your job if you have one, and carry the economy out of the toilet, that the government has put it in, with our own bare hands. For those of us who are already carrying the load, its getting really old doing this alone while the rest of the people in this country are enjoying the spoils of our labor and we have nothing left to show for it....

PS. anyone Hear of any Bluefin tuna being caught withing 15 or so miles of Dana Point Harbor? I got a full tank of gas but that's about the limit of my range when you factor in trolling around and running and gunning.

Thank you for your view point! As for the Tuna their still around the border, I'm thinking about jumping on a boat Thursday night. I know it might rain, but I don't think the fish will mind. (their already wet) I know that's a bad joke!!! lol

[etucker1959]

mercantilism was an economic theory used in the 1600's.

(i don''t think they even had crayons back then, were you able to read feather pen and ink?)

it is a system where govt, in it's own self interest, protects itself (country); and in the past, protectionism to it's own potential self destruction by preventing further expansion (growth).

this merchant system, if i remember, fell to the idea of a global economy.

you don't believe in such an economy?

maybe we need more space exploration, like in star trek...


but i could be wrong... college was many moons ago.

I must be crazy to respond to one of your comments, but you made a legitimate post. You are very correct about Mercantilism being used heavily in 1600 century. The ones who pioneered it was the Spanish empire. They were getting so much wealth from the New World, Silver from Mexico and Gold from South America. That they passed laws (Mercantilism) that no one in their Empire was allowed to trade with any other country's. (they wanted to keep all the wealth to themselves) Their down fall was to waste a lot of their wealth on creating a big army and navy (Spanish armada) and trying to conquer their neighbors and turn them all back into Catholic's. It took several hundred years before that empire fell apart. Their use of Mercantilism didn't cause their empire to fall, their neighbors and their own people caused that!!!

[etucker1959]

Well government intervention, over regulation and crony capitalism (government picking winners and losers) is part of why we are in the mess we are in and is not part of the solution. While people mock Trump about his 35% duty on foreign goods President Reagan imposed a 35% tariff on Japanese motorcycles and saved Harley Davidson from eminent bankruptcy. In more recent times we hit unfair foreign completion with high tariffs on imported steel and tires although it was done too late and only after industry suffered irreversible damage. And we silently let the clothing, shoe and textile industry be decimated in this country and did nothing to prevent it. The primary reason was those industries were not strongly union and did not have the muscle or money to lobby DC.

While in this country and many others we have strong laws against monopolies and unfair trade/business practices we allowed OPEC to operate with impunity because they held the strong hand. Remember President Carter starting the Dept of Energy after the OPEC embargo and gas rationing, well that wonderful governmental agency has done absolutely nothing to solve the problem it was created for.

Now if you really want to go into the weeds and solve the trade disparity and solve the debt issue at the same time, quickly although extremely painful “Devalue the Dollar”. This would cause imports to be more expensive, exports to be cheaper, debt would be paid in cheaper dollars; savings would take a loss as would hard assets, hard assets under a mortgage and credit would be paid in cheaper dollars. But if we don’t do something soon to control out of control debt and deficits we will ultimately get inflation or stagflation and devaluing will not be of our choice.

Population control what a twisted web that is, the left wants open borders and immigrants have a much higher birth rate. Doesn’t that fly in the face of your argument? In life as in physic’s; for every action there is an equal reaction. Think of supply and demand, whether it is in labor, goods or services, short supply and/or high demand has an effect on prices, labor, wages and over supply and low demand has an equal and opposite effect.

Raising the standard of living for everyone is easily accomplished by either cheap goods and services or higher wages. You can’t have both and we as a nation to our detriment have chosen cheaper imported goods. I remember the days when you saw constant ads on TV touting look for the “Union Label and Made in the USA”. Where are those ads today?

Tell me one thing that the government does well, at low cost, efficiently and without waste, fraud and corruption that private industry couldn’t do better.

I want to respond to your last quote. But you did make a lot of good points I totally agree with!!!!!

Tell me one thing that the government does well, at low cost, efficiently and without waste, fraud and corruption that private industry couldn't do better.

I think I know where you are going with this, "that old tried and true Conservative belief." That the governments role should be to provide a strong military but not much else. Private industry should do the rest. Why for the all above stated reasons!!!!!!

I'm not disagreeing that private industry for the motivation of profit does not do things more efficiently. However, there is still a big role for the government to tackle big monumentally task that private industry would probably ignore for lack of profit. The government then takes on these task for the betterment of Mankind. Let me give you some good examples of this!!!

1. At the turn of the Century a private French company came up with the idea and made an attempt to build the Panama Canal. It failed badly and they abandoned the whole project. The US government stepped in and took over the project and then completed the Panama Canal.

2. Starting in the 1920's (even a little before that) and going wild in the 1930's the government started building Dams for electrical power. They started with the Hoover Dam and then went crazy in the depression building the TVA. Would private enterprise have built those Dams??? Maybe Maybe not, it would have just depended if there was enough profit involved for them to do it. To think maybe Lake Mead wouldn't be there, "if it wasn't a government folly to build Hoover Dam." (think about that the next time you're fishing there)

3. Wars are fought and paid for by governments. But would the development of Nuclear power been possible if it wasn't for the governments effort to fund the Manhattan project. Private Enterprises wouldn't have had the resources to complete a project of that magnitude in such a short period of time.

4. HERE IS MY FAVORITE!!!!!. The Eisenhower administration passed and funded the Interstate Highway Act. 40,000 miles of good roads built to the same standard and absolutely FREE FREE FREE!!!!!! Private Enterprises would have made a hodgepodge of the quality of the roads and DRUM ROLL PLEASE................. and turned everyone of them into a toll road!!!!!!! Next time you get on the ole open highway to go to your favorite hunting and fishing spot, remember you don't have to keep stopping and throwing coins into a toll booth. Why because your government loves you enough not to let private enterprise stick it to you!!!! lol

5. I'll end with one of Mankind greatest achievements. "PUTTING A MAN ON THE MOON!!!!" Do you think private enterprise could or would even thought about doing that 40 years ago. Some people in the private industry now think they can do that again!!!! (I think it's just a pipe dream)

In Conclusion, yes private enterprise could and should do many things. But to think the government shouldn't be an active player in our society taking on great monumental task "is just plain foolishness!!!!"

[hookdfisherman]

Not that I despise research... but ok Spaniards invented the mercantile system.

The Spanish felt they needed ships to protect all that silver they pillaged.

The building of the wooden boats (like wooden nets? ) Eventually brought down their house... no?

So tell me again... how well did mercantilism [sp] work?

If the system they invented cannot sustain their country... does that system work or not? Please let us know your thoughts on on this...

And now, I don't care to research this either... but you want to bring this system back? Is that your theory to save the good ol' U S of A? [Pro courtesy? please clarify?]

Again, no research on my part, I'd rather fish... but a better system came along... one that supposedly accommodated for growth and better prosperity (I mean, last time you caught a yellow, it wasn't on a ship from the Spanish armada correct? If a better system works, why not use it...?)

Guess a *global economy with a free market that considers supply and demand forces kinda works... we do have them big ol battleships now a days to pillage oil...

(*Don't quote me on this... I just threw a bunch of economic terms I remember together. I'm not sure it's real or not but it sounds good, I hope...)

we again might need to build that starship soon though. ..


.

[John Harper]

Tell me one thing that the government does well, at low cost, efficiently and without waste, fraud and corruption that private industry couldn’t do better.

There's perfect efficiency, low cost, no corruption nor fraud, and no waste in private industry?

We privatized the electricity market in CA, and got......Enron. We deregulated banking and got.....the S&L collapse, requiring a NEW govt organization, the RTC, to clean up the mess. We put profits over safety regulations at the UBB mine in WV and got.......29 dead miners.

It's certainly news to me. And the families of those dead miners.

John

[DEVOREFLYER]

With all respect John in private industry there are consequences for fraud, waste and corruption etc. (business failure, fired CEO's and managers, civil lawsuits and even jail). The government not so much. Seems that stockholders have some power, taxpayers not so much.

And all of those wonderful thing that etucker said the government did was done with private industry labor and equipment funded by the government at taxpayer expense. So I guess you bought into the 0bama line "You didn't build that".

[John Harper]

So I guess you bought into the 0bama line "You didn't build that".

No, I bought into the part of the Constitution that says "We the people." I did not see the phrase "I got mine, and screw the rest of you."

Also, doesn't that same document say one of government's critical functions is to "promote the GENERAL WELFARE" of our country and it's people? I also notice that the government is tasked with "establishing justice" as well.

And, there are often serious consequences for government malfeasance. Ask the prosecutor of the Duke lacrosse team. Or our good buddies in the LA Sheriff Dept, Mr. Baca and Mr. Tanaka. And, let's not forget President Nixon. It may seem to you that the wheels of justice turn at different rates, but at least they turn.

John

[DEVOREFLYER]

I don't see anyone suffering any penalties for the deaths of veterans due to the VA debacle. Or the missing $5 billion in the State Dept or the missing/unaccounted billions in the Defense Dept. Anyone suffer for the crony capitalism failure of Solindra and others. And how about those billions for "Shovel Ready Jobs" that weren't shovel ready. The billions sent to Social Security recipients that are over 110 years of age or dead. The list is endless and we haven't even touched on grants for worthless studies and research (Treadmills for shrimp etc). Yip government efficiency and competence is tough to match in the private sector.

[John Harper]

I don't see anyone suffering any penalties for the deaths of veterans due to the VA debacle. Or the missing $5 billion in the State Dept or the missing/unaccounted billions in the Defense Dept. Anyone suffer for the crony capitalism failure of Solindra and others. And how about those billions for "Shovel Ready Jobs" that weren't shovel ready. The billions sent to Social Security recipients that are over 110 years of age or dead. The list is endless and we haven't even touched on grants for worthless studies and research (Treadmills for shrimp etc). Yip government efficiency and competence is tough to match in the private sector.

How much money was wasted on Whitewater? Monica? Benghazi? Iraq? Halliburton? We can present examples of wasted money all day long. What's your point?

As far as those SS checks, who committed fraud? The government? Or the people who cashed those checks? One is a mistake, the other is a crime.

John

[DEVOREFLYER]

General welfare clause refers to a clause in the U.S. Constitution that empowers Congress to levy taxes and pay debts for the general welfare of the country. This clause is referred under USCS Const. Art. I, � 8, Cl 1 of the U.S. Constitution. The provisions of the section reads as follows: "Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defense and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States."

The U. S. Supreme Court first interpreted the clause in United States v. Butler, 297 U.S. 1 (U.S. 1936). The court in this case held that the general welfare language in the taxing-and-spending clause constituted a separate grant of power to Congress to spend in areas over which it was not granted direct regulatory control.