**** Elections thread *****

[Savy]

Yeah that's it. The protectionist types on trade overestimate what a change in trade policies could do for them. Yet, there are still things that can be done. The most important is actually deregulating domestic policies, but Trump never used that messaging since it does not sell. People instinctively think "deregulation" is bad even when it's good. So instead Trump used protectionist rhetoric. People instinctively love that shit even when it's bad.

I'm not so fussed on the selling of ideas more so just wanting to talk about ideas in of themselves really.

This issue is just one that annoys me. In the UK we have a really big "buy local", "local produce", "made in britain" and people saying all this rhetoric. No, you should buy the best products. Let's say I can buy tomatoes from a local place where they aren't that great or get some imported from somewhere else where they are nice at the same price point when you're an idiot not to get the nice ones. The question should be why can they get them for the same price whilst one is great and the other is shit. What are we doing wrong and they doing right?

Unfortunately due to more and more concerns about the environment they benefit from token greenism from the general public.

Not sure what you mean. If a factory can pay someone $10 a day to work in China and it costs $100 a day in the US, they're better off going to China.

Penalizing companies for leaving seems like kind of a weird solution. First, the companies that stay will either have to lower their wages dramatically, or go bankrupt. Second, it will discourage companies from coming to the US since they'll know there's a price to pay if they want to leave some day.

Yes but why does it cost $10 in one place and $100 in another? Baring in mind all the ballache of cultural difference, moving production to another place, being further behind in technologies etc (not so much now I'm talking years and years ago).

If you can't compete you ask why, if there are valid reasons that you never will be able to then tough shit that's life you can't do it. If there aren't or there are ways to improve then do them. Don't say we'll just stop the other people to everyone's detriment (something I'm aware you aren't arguing for).