Poll debates are boring and the outcome in November is almost a forgone conclusion. So let's discuss policy.
Since business school, I have been an advocate of free trade. One of the few places I agreed with republicans.
Protectionist policies don't work, and trade wars are foolish. There will always be a third world, low cost producer. Shut one off with tariffs, and another will appear. Japan was a low costs producer until their economy developed. Then Korea, then China. When China no longer wants to play that role, or you make them less competitive with tarriffs, another country will appear; India, Pakistan, etc. Full blown protectionist policies ( tariffs on all imports) are absolutely proven to stunt economic growth.
Trump keeps giving Clintom credit for NAFTA, but actually GHB negotiated and signed the treaty. Bill Clinton only implemented it. It had almost unanimous republican support in congress. The results are hardly the catastrophe Trump paints. There have been plenty of republican catastrophes, but NAFTA isn't one.
http://useconomy.about.com/od/tradepolicy/p/NAFTA_Advantage.htm
Since business school, I have been an advocate of free trade. One of the few places I agreed with republicans.
Protectionist policies don't work, and trade wars are foolish. There will always be a third world, low cost producer. Shut one off with tariffs, and another will appear. Japan was a low costs producer until their economy developed. Then Korea, then China. When China no longer wants to play that role, or you make them less competitive with tarriffs, another country will appear; India, Pakistan, etc. Full blown protectionist policies ( tariffs on all imports) are absolutely proven to stunt economic growth.
Trump keeps giving Clintom credit for NAFTA, but actually GHB negotiated and signed the treaty. Bill Clinton only implemented it. It had almost unanimous republican support in congress. The results are hardly the catastrophe Trump paints. There have been plenty of republican catastrophes, but NAFTA isn't one.
http://useconomy.about.com/od/tradepolicy/p/NAFTA_Advantage.htm
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