Posts tagged…Obama
Cheering for ‘democracy’
Tue, Jan 05 2010Rachman—who's normally pretty astute—assesses the emblematic events in Copenhagen as a blow to the U.S. program of 'spreading democracy'.
"As emerging global powers and developing nations, Brazil, India, South Africa and Turkey may often feel they have more in common with a rising China than with the democratic US." Extract from Gideon Rachman in the Financial Times
Although I share his sense…
Read more…China worries about U.S. carbon tariffs
Wed, Apr 22 2009In a speech in the U.S. yesterday, Tung Chee-hwa, vice-chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) hit out at plans for carbon tariffs in the Democrats' bill for emission controls
"A top adviser to the Chinese government on Tuesday warned that a proposed US border tax on carbon sensitive materials ‘smells of protectionism’ and could spark retaliation from developing…
Things that don’t change
Sat, Nov 08 2008"By tapping Rahm Emanuel, a fierce partisan of Israel who volunteered as a mechanic in northern Israel during the first Gulf War, it is fair to say that process has already begun" from FP Passport
Emanuel's father has not heard, apparently, that Obama defeated racism.
McCain and Obama on ethanol subsidies and tariffs
Mon, Jun 23 2008Where is this going? I'm with McCain on this, so far. But it's always worrying to see political candidates engaging on fuel subsidies. The moral danger alert swings to the farthest end of the spectrum.
"'We made a series of mistakes by not adopting a sustainable energy policy, one of which is the subsidies for corn ethanol, which I warned in Iowa were going to destroy the market” and contribute to…
Obama re-designs his message on trade
Sat, Jun 21 2008If your theory is that Obama's aggressive stance on trade agreements including NAFTA and MFN for China was a tactic designed to un-hinge the Clinton-Labor axis in the competition for the Democrat nomination, this partial recantation on NAFTA will probably leave you feeling you read him right. But it leaves many questions about his policies hanging in the air.
Democrat trade policies would hurt low-income Americans
Thu, May 22 2008James Surowiecki makes a plausible case in a straightforward way. Although it's difficult even for Paul Krugman to find solid evidence that trade with China, for example, has cut wages, it's apparent that the deflation of consumer prices has helped average- and low-income Americans most.
"Obama and Clinton, in their desire to help working Americans—and gain their votes—are pushing for policies…
Obama makes Bush look good
Fri, May 16 2008On farm subsidies at least. Here's the "Change" guy again arguing for more of the same
"I applaud the Senate's passage today of the Farm Bill, which will provide America's hard-working farmers and ranchers with more support and more predictability… This bill is far from perfect. I believe in tighter payment limits and a ban on packer ownership of livestock… But with so much at stake, we cannot…
More trade horrors from the US campaign trail
Sun, May 11 2008Obama's policy, it appears, is to enforce precautionary action to reduce carbon-emissions by means of trade sanctions: a policy that the Europeans have prudently disowned.
"Ultimately, the solution to global climate change is going to be mediated through the lens of global trade. Sen. Obama has been supportive of mechanisms that have the U.S. take a first step, and if after a period of years…
Obama trapped in the ‘campaign bubble’
Tue, Apr 15 2008A speech about nothing, says the NY Times.
"Barack Obama delivered a speech in Pittsburgh on Monday on the economic stresses facing American workers. In the speech, he devoted one clause in one sentence to the single biggest factor affecting the workplace: technological change. He then devoted 45 sentences to one of the least important: trade deals."(New York Times Op Ed)
Obama would have opposed NAFTA, CAFTA and China’s membership of WTO
Sun, Apr 06 2008Analysts who criticized Obama's trade policies as protectionist and silly were themselves attacked for taking mere campaign rhetoric too seriously. Jagdish Bhagwati in the FT offered five reasons to be reassured about Obama's trade credentials. But it's impossible to be sanguine about the remarks in this speech to the AFL-CIO in Pennsylvania. If he means them we should be worried by his bizarre,…
Obama’s policies called “protectionist and silly”
Wed, Feb 27 2008In a review by two UK economists of Obama's support for the "Patriot Employer Act"
"Sen. Barack Obama’s proposal is reactionary, populist, xenophobic and just plain silly. It is time for him to stop pandering and to show the world that hope and reason are not mutually exclusive. Instead of increased protectionism, the United States might increase its competitiveness by sensible investments in…
Obama: don’t tread on me
Mon, Feb 25 2008We can't keep passing unfair trade deals like NAFTA that put special interests over workers' interests (Barack Obama, emphasis added)
Obama's not going to let Mexico or Canada swindle the USA into greater specialization (or wealth) in the North American industrial landscape! He has a plan for preventing change as well as ... um, the other one
I didn't just start criticizing unfair trade deals…