More free trade.

[piece-itpete]

"The United States and European Union aim to start negotiating a vast Transatlantic free trade pact by June, though the plan confirmed on Wednesday faces many hurdles before it might help revive the world's top two economies.

......"

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/...91C0OC20130214

No uproar from the left? No comment from the right?

Pete

[BlueStreak]

Yeah! More jobs for Americans!

(Seeing as how European companies have begun to see us as their "Mexico" in regards to labor costs and regulation......)

Regards,
Dave

[bobabode]

I like a cheap Bordeaux, Pete. What's to hate? Have you got your tits in an uproar again?

[mini me]

Ok, I'll bite.

I hate this kind of crap. "Free Trade Agreements" often create more chaos than freedom, and product quality often becomes the least common denominator in trade agreements. Did you catch the line buried in the story about 2/3 of the way down that the agreement will focus on creating product standards for things like seat belts, so that everyone can compete? Seat belts are a good example of a product standard that need not be lowered just so a bunch of political hacks can celebrate crafting a trade agreement.

[bobabode]

Originally Posted by mini me

Ok, I'll bite.

I hate this kind of crap. "Free Trade Agreements" often create more chaos than freedom, and product quality often becomes the least common denominator in trade agreements. Did you catch the line buried in the story about 2/3 of the way down that the agreement will focus on creating product standards for things like seat belts, so that everyone can compete? Seat belts are a good example of a product standard that need not be lowered just so a bunch of political hacks can celebrate crafting a trade agreement.

"Negotiations will focus on harmonizing standards, from car seat belts to household cleaning products, and regulations governing services. These help ensure exporters can compete."

This^? No where does it state that seatbelts standards would be lowered. It says harmonized. Aren't EU safety standards higher? So, we would have to raise our standards to compete in their market. Is your cup half empty?

[mini me]

Originally Posted by bobabode

"Negotiations will focus on harmonizing standards, from car seat belts to household cleaning products, and regulations governing services. These help ensure exporters can compete."

This^? No where does it state that seatbelts standards would be lowered. It says harmonized. Aren't EU safety standards higher? So, we would have to raise our standards to compete in their market. Is your cup half empty?

I don't think so. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety ranks the "safest" cars and the Euro cars aren't over-represented on the list each year.

[bobabode]

Originally Posted by mini me

I don't think so. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety ranks the "safest" cars and the Euro cars aren't over-represented on the list each year.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insuran...Highway_Safety
Not really the most unbiased group out there and they aren't the one who sets standards, are they? We were talking about seat belt standards and you made an unfounded allegation that our standards would be lowered as a result of any free trade agreement with the EU. I'll be happy to look at the real standards and report back if that'll make you happy but I have a feeling that we will find that the EU would be the one having to lower their standards to accomodate our shittier seatbelt standards. I'll bet you a buck I'm right...

[BlueStreak]

Originally Posted by bobabode

"Negotiations will focus on harmonizing standards, from car seat belts to household cleaning products, and regulations governing services. These help ensure exporters can compete."

This^? No where does it state that seatbelts standards would be lowered. It says harmonized. Aren't EU safety standards higher? So, we would have to raise our standards to compete in their market. Is your cup half empty?

Better? In some ways, but, I have seen trade-offs. When I was in the automotive lighting business, lamps made for the American (N.C. & S.) market were molded out of polycarbonate because it is very rugged. Lamps made for the European market had to be made of a Thermoset resin, because it is resistant to thermal changes that affect photometrics--A more stable light spread winter and summer. The thing is, we found that the thermally induced changes in the PC resins was negligable and the Thermoset resins tend to be brittle and crack easily under heavy vibration. Add to that the fact that the materials and molding process for TS resin is much more expensive and troublesome..................

Dave

[mpholland]

Free trade is great for huge corporations. I don't see it helping us little folk out much, except allowing us to pay about the same price for cheap crap as we used to pay for decent products. The differential basically goes to the wealthy and makes them even more so.

[piece-itpete]

Thanks mp, I was about to point out the sheer hypocrisy of the left regarding free trade and you went and messed it up

Pete