On Thu, Jul 24, 2003 at 12:42:01PM -0400, John Pedersen wrote:
> swbuehler@yahoo.com wrote:
> >Look for certain memory prices to shoot up soon.
> >
> >SWB
> >
> >
> >---------- Forwarded message ----------
> >Message-ID: <Qus-trade-asiaURbUB_DlN.X.X@clari.net>
> >Date: Wed, 23 Jul 2003 22:15:52 PDT
> >From: AFP / David Williams <C-afp@clari.net>
> >Subject: US slaps tariffs on Asian fish and microchips
> >
> >
> > WASHINGTON, July 23 (AFP) - The United States took a swipe Wednesday
> >against Asian fish and microchip exporters, deciding to slap high
> tariffs on
> >Vietnamese-style catfish and South Korean semiconductors.
<snip>
> Interesting, but these are just tiny ripples on an ocean of bullshit.
>
> Ask yourself, when every shoe, every shirt, every hammer, every
> television, every vcr, every.... is made offshore, why are we
> suddenly upset about catfish?!
>
> I don't have the answer. But if I wanted to dig into it, I would ask,
> "Which state(s)/district is big in farming catfish?" Is there a
> Republican senator or congressman who's in trouble in the next
> election?
Oh no you don't. The Democrats are famous for this type of thing as
well. It's endemic with politicians in general, and most particularly
Democratic ones.
Tom Daschle, liberal of liberals, got through a bill that allowed
prescribed burning in his state (to prevent forest fires), where such is
illegal elsewhere. He pushed through a deal where the armed forces would
lease Boeing airplanes rather than purchase them. His wife,
coincidentally, works as a lobbyist in that industry. Most recently, he
has pushed heavily for the use of ethanol in fuels. His state has an
awful lot of corn farmers.
>
> As for Korean memory....a cynic (not me, of course) might suggest
> that you check the tarrif rates in six months or a year, and find that
> they are unchanged. Perhaps somebody was setting up a major
> Korean/USA deal and they needed a hammer to bring the Koreans
> into line.
>
That could be. But to some extent, the Commerce Department and other
such bodies are hammers used by US companies to negotiate with other
countries. Getting a better deal is not a bad idea. If the Commerce
Department (or other such) can be convinced to assist, all the better.
But then again, it could simply be as the article pointed out. Not a
conspiracy at all.
Paul
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