Homestead mailing list

["Marie McHarry" <mmcharry AT dtnspeed.net>]

James wrote:

<<Global and fascist, couldn't be a worse 
combination.  It's only Kerry would have been worse, Global and socialist.>>

I respectfully disagree, on a number of points though I believe I agree on
the major issue: globalism.

Consider my background. I'm the offspring of several generations of farmers,
and from the time I was about 10 and could follow the price of livestock and
grain in the papers, I understood that good export markets raised prices.
Now, we simply can't compete in global markets if we are to maintain a
middle class. No way can we produce soybeans as cheaply as Brazil, just for
example. Even our poor people need more money than any competitor to put a
roof over their heads and food in their bellies (let's not even consider
medical care because that's not really necessary for the economy).

At this point, most sectors of the US economy are propped up by government
welfare -- transferring tax money from middle wage earners (the $20,000 to
300,000 crowd) to corporations and agriculture. OTOH, we Americans are the
prize for the world market. When we end up producing nothing much, how are
we going to buy cars, electronic stuff, etc from the countries that undercut
us? 

It sure seems like someone ought to be trying to figure out how to maintain
a world economy, but instead we have everyone trying to grab his before the
world runs out of stuff to grab.

That said, I don't see that we're better off either materially or
spiritually than socialist Europe. From what I read these days, United
Europe may even overtake the US in power and prestige for maybe a generation
before the world enters a period that is dominated by the Asian countries.
Of course, if Europe and Asia have nowhere to dump the products they're
turning out, maybe all we face is a grim future.

In the meantime, I don't want some fascist Republican trying to order my
private life. I can screw it up on my own, thank you. I may not want the
restrictions imposed by the socialists, but -- of the two -- at least the
socialists are addressing human needs. Fascists aren't.

Marie

PS: So, James, how would you address globalism? I believe that we should
keep certain production domestic, and while my very DNA is opposed to
tariffs, an intelligent use of such may be necessary to maintain a decent
life.