Tuesday, October 2, 2018

This Is Not Free Trade, Not Even Close


Below is the table of contents to Trump's Trade Agreement (TRUMPSTA). In no way does this suggest a free trade agreement. I shudder to think about the crony deals and protectionism that is buried in this deal.

As Lawrence McQuillan put it:
At least #NAFTA had the pretense of free trade. The new agreement is managed government #protectionism & #cronycapitalism. @realDonaldTrump just made America poorer again & strengthened Federal govt! 
-RW 

United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Text
Table of Contents
A.        United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Text – Chapters
0.         Preamble

3.         Agriculture
5.         Origin Procedures
6.         Textiles and Apparel
7.         Customs and Trade Facilitation
10.       Trade Remedies
11.       Technical Barriers to Trade
12.       Sectoral Annexes
13.       Government Procurement
14.       Investment
16.       Temporary Entry
17.       Financial Services      
18.       Telecommunications
19.       Digital Trade
20.       Intellectual Property
21.       Competition Policy
23.       Labor
24.       Environment
26.       Competitiveness
27.       Anticorruption
28.       Good Regulatory Practices
31.       Dispute Settlement
34.       Final Provisions

B. Agreement Annexes

C. Side Letters



3 comments:

  1. It cracks me up that the people who moventheough corporate America stylized themselves as capitalists and entrepreneurs. Who do they think they're kidding? What a bunch of losers. None of them can get an honest job. They're just con-men. Why don't they get laughed at? Why don't people just clown them in social situations? They're just wimpy little teacher's pet dorklings. Belittle them in front of the pretty girls, make them per their pants, then taunt them.

    Judges too. Why don't people give these jokers trap at social events. They lock peaceful people in cages. Surely they go to cocktail parties and operas. Why doesn't anyone humiliate them? Why is everyone in America such a damn wuss?

    This country deserves what's coming. The feds go around dropping bombs on kids people put up with it because they want to boss their neighbors around. Bunch of self-idolizing high-tech barbarians.

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    Replies
    1. @Donxon

      To me, the main reason why people tend to tolerate cronyism is the intersection of two cognitive biases:

      1.) In-Group Preference
      2.) Saliency (e.g. "the seen versus the unseen")

      As long as (1) the recipient of crony largesse is considered to be part of the same in-group (e.g. "Americans") and (2) the benefits are more visible than the costs (or at least the costs to other Americans) then it's unlikely that very many people will object to the scam.

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    2. People don't flip over the table because they want a seat at it.

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