Protectionism
First let's see what protectionism is. According to Mr. Webster it is the advocacy, system, or theory of protecting domestic producers by impeding or limiting, as by tariffs or quotas, the importation of foreign goods and services.
That sounds pretty good. It is something that will protect the jobs of our workers from goods that can be produced elsewhere and undercut the prices of our local goods. How? There are a couple of ways. The merchandise or commodity itself is in very large supply in another country and is mined or grown there very cheaply. Not much you can do about that. Or the labor costs of production are vastly less than our own workers and the product can be manufactured for less.
The average worker in the U.S. makes about $12.00 per hour while the workers in Mexico get $2.00 and the people in China average 60 cents per hour. How do you compete with them? Answer - you can't. So what do you do? If you are a shoe manufacturer in the U.S. you ask the federal government to levy a tariff (tax) on all imported shoes (or maybe just the kind you make). This sure helps that particular shoemaker who might have 300 employees making sneakers. Now the sneaker maker can keep his prices up and his workers working. That's good.
But wait a minute. There are millions of feet that need sneakers and that means millions of consumers are paying more for comparable quality sneakers. Is it fair to give special consideration to a very small group that automatically penalizes the mass of consumers?
Examine the definition of tariff again and think it through to the end. A tariff is a tax on consumers.
You are paying more for certain goods (and there are about 13,000 separate tariffs) than you should just for the benefit of a few manufacturers who cannot compete in the world market. Every country is not just a unit unto itself any more. We now have a global economy that allows specialization of products. If a company cannot compete it should not be in business and should not penalize the majority of its citizens for the benefit of a few. You, the consumer, should not have to pay more for tomatoes, brassieres and steel just so our politicians can get reelected. That is what is boils down to. Unions will promise to back certain candidates if they will vote for tariffs (tax increases) that protect incompetent manufacturers. The steel tariff is an excellent example. Bush put on a tariff when he could have given a tax break to help modernize that industry. In the long run our steel production will disappear because of continuing inefficiency. If we get into a trade war where one country trumps another with more and more tariffs it is a guaranteed loser for everyone. Visualize this as building a house of cards. You end up with a game of 52-pickup. It could go to the ultimate of deflation and depressions for all the countries of the world.
Protectionism in all of history has never worked.
Al Thomas' book, "If It Doesn't Go Up, Don't Buy It!" has helped thousands of people make money and keep their profits with his simple 2-step method. Read the first chapter at http://www.mutualfundmagic.com and discover why he's the man that Wall Street does not want you to know.
Copyright 2005
More Resources
Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exitingMore Stocks & Mutual Funds Information:
Related Articles
NASDAQ 800?
In November of 2000 when the NASDAQ was trading at 3000 I wrote in this column that the NASDAQ Index would fall to 1500 and I got lots of heat for saying it. Microsoft had fallen from $129 to $60 per share.
Mr. Market
I constantly hear the talking heads on CNBC-TV, the radio and other places talking about THE market. Of course, they mean the stock market which actually now is world wide and no longer just concentrated in New York.
Price Targets
Every day in any financial publication you will find the Wall Street mavens giving their predictions on many stocks. It was issued here and should go there.
Hedge Funds: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Alfred Winslow Jones started hedge funds in 1949. He was a pioneer of non-traditional investment strategies.
Different Ways of Buying Stocks
Let's say you are interested in this one company. You read its annual report, like what you see and your calculation indicates that the stock is trading way below its fair value.
What is a Mutual Fund?
Ever wondered what is a mutual fund? A mutual fund is a pool of money run by a professional or group of professionals called the "investment adviser."A mutual fund is a company that pools money from many investors and invests the money in stocks, bonds, short-term money-market instruments, other securities or assets, or some combination of these investments.
Dont Ask Your Broker
Unfortunately, most of you who are reading my column are suffering some substantial losses in the stock market. Whether it is mutual funds or individual stocks everything with mighty few exceptions is going down.
Dividend Paying Stocks
I would like to share with the reader an article printed in the financial section of U.S.
Market Timing?
The recent criminal fiasco in the mutual fund industry is being used by Wall Street to persuade investors that market timing is a bad thing. The late trading by Janus, Bank America and several other well known mutual funds is falsely being called market timing.
Stock Market Investing Odds
The greatest stock market myth is the idea that investing in stocks is a form of gambling!The financial markets are often compared to a casino. Put some money on X stock and you might as well be playing craps!If that's your impression, and it's keeping you out of the markets, consider this: If investing is organized gambling, it's one of the rare kinds where the odds are stacked in your favor!Why is that?Corporate profits are the key to understanding the investor's edge.
What To Buy Now
I am sure that if you have a brokerage account with a "full service" broker you have been getting calls about what to buy and sell. If you have big losses in certain stocks you might be hit with that great Wall Street lie to buy more so you can 'Dollar Cost Average'.
Option Spread Trading
Spread trading is a technique that can be used to profit in bullish, neutral or bearish conditions. It basically functions to limit risk at the cost of limiting profit as well.
China Syndrome
There has been great condemnation recently because China has been selling its goods on the world market at prices below what other countries, especially the U.S.
Invest, Be Wrong, and Make Money in the Stock Market
I have been trading for several decades and was an exchange member and floor trader for 17 years. You learn fast there or you go broke in a hurry.
Mutual Fund Ball and Chain
The broker told me not to sell because the mutual fund I owned had a 2% redemption fee and they would penalize me if I did.I got to thinking about it and did some simple math to see what that would cost me if I sold.
Fake Money
Reach in your pocket and take out that big roll of bills. Depending on how many of them you have you feel pretty good.
Race Horses and Mutual Funds
For years investors have been taught to look into the composition of a mutual funds. In other words the "experts" want you to take the time to analyze the stocks within the mutual fund portfolio, categorize them by industry group and try to understand the objective of the fund manager.
Is The Bear In The Cage?
For the last few weeks we have seen the stock market averages going higher and higher each week yet the economic news is still very bad. Is this bear market coming to an end? Will the stock prices and mutual funds go back up to where they were?It seems all the talking heads on TV and the talk radio guys are telling you that now is the time to buy because the market will be much higher next year.
Trading as a Business
What can I expect to make my first year of trading?We get questions like this one quite often. We find that most aspiring traders don't have a clue as to what to expect from the market.
Duct Tape
Did you run out to buy that duct tape yet? Don't forget the plastic sheeting, bottles of water, canned food and a couple of books to read. What are you waiting for? I know - things to get better so you can resume your normal life style.