"Buy American" provision in House climate bill

[Old Coot]

Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A new "Buy American" provision in a massive climate change bill working its way through Congress is a worrisome sign of increased U.S. protection, a business official said on Friday.

The provision offers financial aid to automakers building plug-in electric cars. But it stipulates those cars must be "developed and produced in the United States."

"All of us are trying to do everything we can to help the automakers here. But provisions like this smell of Buy America," said Christopher Wenk, senior director of international policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

The language could violate U.S. obligations under the World Trade Organization, he said, risking possible retaliation from U.S. trading partners.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090605/pl_nm/us_trade_buyamerican_cars

[Auggie]

1. Retaliation? But we don't make stuff here anymore!

[seabeckind]

2. My initial reaction in reading this article is:

f--k him.

Upon careful reflection and more thought, yep f--k him.

We need jobs here. He can shove his chamber of commerce.

If the WTO has trouble with that, well, f--k them, too.

[LisaM]

3. I like the provision

The Chamber can go F*** itself. Japan has aided its car companies for years. Europe subsidizes Airbus. So what?

[zbdent]

4. cries of "protectionism" from the Repukes who, when convenient, remind everybody

that "CLINTON SIGNED NAFTA!" ... but conveniently don't bother reminding the "liberal media" that they're the ones who get literal tons of dollars from "U.S. manufacturers" who benefit from NAFTA ...

[RoccoR5955]

5. F*%k the WTO AND Wenk!

We need to manufacture more here than babies and crystal meth!

[Odin2005]

6. The WTO can DROP DEAD all I care!

[New Dawn]

7. Fuck the Chamber of Commerce and the GOP.

[Flora]

8. If it's Climate

why should it be only our concern? Surely the climate effects other areas than the United States?

Is it Climate or Economics that is in question??

[XemaSab]

9. Is the Japanese government interested in Japanese jobs?

Is the German government interested in German jobs?

Is the Indian government interested in Indian jobs?

Is the Costa Rican government interested in Costa Rican jobs?

THEN WHY ISN'T THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT INTERESTED IN AMERICAN JOBS? :banghead:

[Djinn]

11. the ruling class aren't nationalists

The Australian government vetoed any suggestion of 'Buy Australian' clauses in any legislation, thanks to our "international obligations" those would be trade treaties that most don't know about and certainly didn't vote for.

Governments sign up to bullshit trade agreements that further enrich the ruling class because that is the pool they all come from, changing that is the only chance we've got.

[pampango]

12. The idea of living up to international agreements is preferable to not living up to them.

If we are going to live in a world where disputes are settled by negotiation and agreement rather than by force (as has happened too often throughout history), we have to abide by the agreements we sign. Most agreements have rules for amending them or withdrawing from them. Better to do that than just to ignore them. If countries ignore the agreements they sign with other countries, how are we going to rely on peaceful negotiations to resolve differences in the future?

[Unvanguard]

13. Protectionism is stupid however many countries practice it

and in the long-term it does not impact employment. It just makes both the US economy and the economy of our trading partners less efficient.

The way to help American workers is not by favoring American companies over foreign ones, but by ensuring directly that American workers get a fair deal: expand programs that subsidize college education, raise the minimum wage, provide universal health care, strengthen labor unions, and so forth. Protectionism in effect just favors certain industries over other ones. It doesn't actually shift the balance of wealth and power toward working people.

[pampango]

14. It's stupid and we've signed agreements with other countries to follow trading rules.

We can amend or withdraw from those agreements, but we should follow them until we do.

It's easy for congresspeople to propose these things since they score political points at home without the risk of alienating others since "buy American" runs counter to agreements we have negotiated with others. I have the feeling that President Obama would treat this provision, if it passed, as he did similar provision in the stimulus bill and implement it "in accordance with our international agreements".

You're right. If we make the improvements in the way our country is run, we can compete with anyone and our middle class will prosper.

[imdjh]

10. "this smell of Buy America" Smell this, Wenk n/t