5 ms·

A repeal of Buy America would be prudent if it were accompanied with very stiff taxation of products from countries that lack equivalent environmental, labour,

A repeal of Buy America would be prudent if it were accompanied with very stiff taxation of products from countries that lack equivalent environmental, labour, and democratic policies. Otherwise, we're asking U.S. based companies to compete with organizations that simply bypass environmental protection, labour protection, or fail to support a democratic government.

senortumnus 5y ago
Agreed. The article addresses that by suggesting that purchasing trains from Japan or Euro producers would meet both enviro and labor standards.
bryanlarsen 5y ago
This article is about passenger train cars so the competition is from Europe or Japan.
koboll 5y ago
This is what I'd like to see most from American trade policy -- not dismantling organizations like the WTO, but rededicating them to promoting human rights and worker protections rather than the interests of transnational capital.
- convolvatron 5y ago
  why would anyone pay for that?
CogitoCogito 5y ago
This is one of the fundamental issues I take with arguments of free trade and how it's best because "different countries focus on what they're best at". That all sounds good if you don't turn on too many brain cells, but there are certain things we do less efficiently on purpose because we hold certain values as more important.
- cardosof 5y ago
  I'm no expert but if your values don't stop you from buying things from countries that don't share them, maybe your values don't matter, right?
  - piva00 5y ago
    Or maybe supply chains are so globalised and intertwined that you, as an individual, simply has no other choice in a number of categories of consumer goods. Good luck applying your morals against a global economic system.
    - cardosof 5y ago
      That is, indeed, a good response and question. Like you can't have a cellphone without giving money to China, for example. The only way I see is to avoid consumerism, being conscious about it and voting on politicians with that kind of ideal and then, only then, someday, there should be a little bit of a chance for change.
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
  - atomicnumber3 5y ago
    How do you reasonably do that, though? The average person doesn't have the time or expertise to track the supply chain of ~anything they buy. At point-of-sale you're presented with, at best, a price and a brand name. And in many cases nowadays, like on Amazon, the brand name is just throwaway semi-English gibberish that rotates out every 4-8 weeks and has 5000+ fake reviews and is just some generic garbage that's being resold off Alibaba. I think it's really fair to say this is something that needs to be done by government regulation, not individual people. Even businesses will struggle with this unless they're in the top % of companies (both $-wise and market capture wise) and can afford to force their supply chain to capitulate to their audits/compliance demands.
    - cardosof 5y ago
soperj 5y ago
If the same was placed on the states, you'd be paying taxes to ship to other countries.

senortumnus 5y ago

Agreed. The article addresses that by suggesting that purchasing trains from Japan or Euro producers would meet both enviro and labor standards.

bryanlarsen 5y ago

This article is about passenger train cars so the competition is from Europe or Japan.

koboll 5y ago

This is what I'd like to see most from American trade policy -- not dismantling organizations like the WTO, but rededicating them to promoting human rights and worker protections rather than the interests of transnational capital.

convolvatron 5y ago
why would anyone pay for that?

CogitoCogito 5y ago

This is one of the fundamental issues I take with arguments of free trade and how it's best because "different countries focus on what they're best at". That all sounds good if you don't turn on too many brain cells, but there are certain things we do less efficiently on purpose because we hold certain values as more important.

cardosof 5y ago
I'm no expert but if your values don't stop you from buying things from countries that don't share them, maybe your values don't matter, right?
- piva00 5y ago
  Or maybe supply chains are so globalised and intertwined that you, as an individual, simply has no other choice in a number of categories of consumer goods. Good luck applying your morals against a global economic system.
  - cardosof 5y ago
    That is, indeed, a good response and question. Like you can't have a cellphone without giving money to China, for example. The only way I see is to avoid consumerism, being conscious about it and voting on politicians with that kind of ideal and then, only then, someday, there should be a little bit of a chance for change.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- atomicnumber3 5y ago
  How do you reasonably do that, though? The average person doesn't have the time or expertise to track the supply chain of ~anything they buy. At point-of-sale you're presented with, at best, a price and a brand name. And in many cases nowadays, like on Amazon, the brand name is just throwaway semi-English gibberish that rotates out every 4-8 weeks and has 5000+ fake reviews and is just some generic garbage that's being resold off Alibaba. I think it's really fair to say this is something that needs to be done by government regulation, not individual people. Even businesses will struggle with this unless they're in the top % of companies (both $-wise and market capture wise) and can afford to force their supply chain to capitulate to their audits/compliance demands.
  - cardosof 5y ago

soperj 5y ago

If the same was placed on the states, you'd be paying taxes to ship to other countries.