Aug. 21, 2019
Permission to republish original opeds and cartoons granted.
Love President Trump or hate him, everyone including President Xi should be rooting for his China trade deal
If you’re a
Republican or a Democrat or an independent, whether you like free trade or
think it has hurt the U.S. economy the past three decades, if you’re in
business with China or from China yourself, even Chinese President Xi Jinping,
you should be rooting for President Donald Trump to succeed in his trade
negotiations with Beijing. Ultimately, a deal with China will set the stage for
the rest of the century and determine whether we can find a way to resolve our
very real differences on competitive currency devaluations that Beijing uses to
boost exports, intellectual property theft and forced technology transfer, and
sanctions against U.S. exporters, or if we are on a collision course for
conflict. One need look no further than to the threat the 7.3 million people of
Hong Kong or 23.6 million people of Taiwan constantly live under, or the
continued nuclear threat from North Korea, to comprehend the threat that
running a $380 billion trade deficit poses — more than twice China’s annual
$152 billion defense budget.
Cartoon: Boycotted
You reap what
you sow.
Corn farmers should feed people, not cars
Americans for
Limited Government President Rick Manning: “President Trump was 100 percent
right when he ordered exemptions to the ethanol mixing requirements for a few
oil refineries that were threatened to be shut down due to the costs of
complying with the Renewable Fuel Standards.
Now, King Corn in Iowa is raising its ugly head demanding that every oil
refinery bow even if it breaks their business.
Here is the truth, we should not burn food in our automobile engines at
all. It is inefficient and bad for the
engines. What's more, as more and more
vehicles go electric, less and less corn will be needed in oil based fuel.
Americans for Limited Government believes that the Renewable Fuel Standard
itself should be eliminated as an unnecessary market intervention. But if government policy is to provide an
additional market for King Corn, then these subsidies should instead be directed
toward feeding people both domestically and around the world. Foolishly burning
food in our fuel tanks while the USDA reports that 42.7 million Americans are
on food stamps is cruel. If Iowa farmers
want to exert their political clout at the first presidential caucus, one would
hope that they would at least compel federal taxpayers to buy corn to feed people
not automobile engines. At the same time, the 2022 fuel mandate that requires
the use of other non-corn-based biofuels should be eliminated in its entirety.”
Washington Examiner: War on drugs win as opioid and heroin abuse declined last year
“[T]he number of
people who misused opioids fell from 11.4 million to 10.3 million, a ‘significant
decrease,’ according to Dr. Elinore F. McCance-Katz, Assistant Secretary for
Mental Health and Substance Use.”
Love President Trump or hate him, everyone including President Xi should be rooting for his China trade deal
By Robert Romano
“Somebody had to take China on… This is something that had to be done. The only difference is I am doing it.”
That was President Donald Trump talking to reporters during a visit by Romanian President Klaus Iohannis to the White House on Aug. 20, making the case for his trade negotiations with China.
“China has been ripping this country off for 25 years, for longer than that and it’s about time whether it’s good for our country or bad for our country short term. Long term it’s imperative that somebody does this,” Trump explained.
In response, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang promoted the dialogue, saying, “That the two sides have differences in issues of trade and the economy is not something to be scared of. The key is to resolve the issues through dialogue.”
That sounds about right. And if it weren’t for the 25 percent tariffs on $250 billion of Chinese goods coming to the U.S., and another 10 percent on the remaining $300 billion of goods coming in December, the negotiations might not be happening at all.
And if you’re a Republican or a Democrat or an independent, whether you like free trade or think it has hurt the U.S. economy the past three decades, if you’re in business with China or from China yourself, even Chinese President Xi Jinping, you should be rooting for President Donald Trump to succeed in his trade negotiations with Beijing.
Ultimately, a deal with China will set the stage for the rest of the century and determine whether we can find a way to resolve our very real differences on competitive currency devaluations that Beijing uses to boost exports, intellectual property theft and forced technology transfer, and sanctions against U.S. exporters, or if we are on a collision course for conflict.
One need look no further than to the threat the 7.3 million people of Hong Kong — where 1.7 million protesters just marched on Aug. 18 for their freedom — or the threat that 23.6 million people of Taiwan both constantly live under, or the continued nuclear threat from North Korea, to comprehend the danger that running a $380 billion trade deficit poses — more than twice China’s annual $152 billion defense budget.
On the merits, a trade deal should satisfy free trade proponents. The fact is, tariff and non-tariff barriers have only been sustainably reduced worldwide since the end of World War II for the most part with reciprocal trade agreements, something we currently lack with China. Free trade proliferates when both sides strive to reduce those barriers, and it suffers when barriers are erected.
A deal with China would give both sides a reason to ratchet down trade pressure and to have an accountable system in place for resolving trade disputes.
On the other hand, a failure to get a deal or if China runs over Hong Kong boosts the likelihood that the current tariffs in place remain or increase over time.
As for those who think past trade agreements have not put America first, there’s something there, too. Prior to President Trump, U.S. leaders have given China a pass on its trade barriers, whereas the agreement that was in negotiations as recently as May addressed them directly.
The fact that any deal would include concessions from China would give it needed longevity as it will be more likely to garner political support.
From a political perspective, it is unseemly to watch politicians and pundits cheer on negative economic news — such as recent speculation of a recession on the horizon or breakdowns in the trade negotiations — because they think it will politically hurt the President.
The fact is, an economic downturn or the failure to reach a deal now could negatively impact future presidents’ ability to deal with China from a position of strength. Worse, it could make conflict more likely in the future, and that’s in nobody’s interests.
Why are politicians rooting against America?
A notable exception has been Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who to his credit urged President Trump and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin’s designation of China as currency manipulator. Although, on the other hand, one struggles find a statement from Schumer praising the move since then. What’s it going to take? Oh well.
Setting aside partisan and ideological differences, the biggest reason to support the President’s success in negotiating with China, whether it is Trump or a future president, is because it puts America first, and the President is at his strongest in foreign relations and diplomacy when there is a bipartisan consensus to proceed.
We should all be hoping Trump succeeds.
As for U.S. companies doing business with or in China, or if you are from China yourself, even President Xi, you should be rooting for a trade deal because it will keep current global supply lines intact and create a basis for growing and improving the current relationship.
No deal means that companies will seek to build their factories elsewhere.
The point of a trade deal is not to dominate world trade but is to achieve a sustainable equilibrium that mutually benefits both sides. That will require concessions in both directions. And we should be mindful that we may not get a better deal later. This could be it.
What we were doing since China was granted permanent normal trade relations in 2000 and entered the World Trade Organization in 2001 was neither politically nor economically sustainable, and overall, the likelihood is that Trump has already changed America’s posture towards Beijing for the long term, especially given developments in Hong Kong the past weeks.
Continued support for appeasement with China will only wane. You can’t wait out Trump. Any future president that acquiesces to China will not have strong backing domestically. Nobody wants to go back to the “good ol’ days.”
For all our sakes, it is up to policymakers in both Washington, D.C. and Beijing to adjust to that political reality and make a deal while there’s still time, before events make one politically impossible.
Robert Romano is the Vice President of Public Policy at Americans for Limited Government.
Cartoon: Boycotted
By A.F. Branco
Click here for a higher resolution version.
Corn farmers should feed people, not cars
Aug. 20, 2019, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement urging President Donald Trump stand firm on granting ethanol waivers to a limited number of refiners:
“President Trump was 100 percent right when he ordered exemptions to the ethanol mixing requirements for a few oil refineries that were threatened to be shut down due to the costs of complying with the Renewable Fuel Standards. Now, King Corn in Iowa is raising its ugly head demanding that every oil refinery bow even if it breaks their business. Here is the truth, we should not burn food in our automobile engines at all. It is inefficient and bad for the engines. What's more, as more and more vehicles go electric, less and less corn will be needed in oil based fuel. Americans for Limited Government believes that the Renewable Fuel Standard itself should be eliminated as an unnecessary market intervention. But if government policy is to provide an additional market for King Corn, then these subsidies should instead be directed toward feeding people both domestically and around the world. Foolishly burning food in our fuel tanks while the USDA reports that 42.7 million Americans are on food stamps is cruel. If Iowa farmers want to exert their political clout at the first presidential caucus, one would hope that they would at least compel federal taxpayers to buy corn to feed people not automobile engines. At the same time, the 2022 fuel mandate that requires the use of other non-corn-based biofuels should be eliminated in its entirety. Let’s return America's farmers to the noble job of providing food rather than poor fuel substitutes.”
To view online: https://getliberty.org/2019/08/corn-farmers-should-feed-people-not-cars/
ALG Editor’s Note: In the following featured report from the Washington Examiner, the number of people who abused opioids dropped by 1 million in the past year:
War on drugs win: Opioid and heroin abuse declined last year
By Cassidy Morrison
Heroin and prescription drug abuse declined last year, according to a new government report, a bright signal of hope in the battle against one of the most devastating and politically explosive problems facing the nation.
Nevertheless, illicit use of certain other drugs rose, and drug use across all age groups increased between in 2018.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reported Tuesday that drug use and abuse increased from 19% to 19.4% across all age groups starting at 12 years old in 2018. Marijuana is still the most popular drug, and its use increased. The drop in heroin use was marginal, and there was a small decrease in the use of cocaine as well.
But the number of people who misused opioids fell from 11.4 million to 10.3 million, a “significant decrease,” according to Dr. Elinore F. McCance-Katz, Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use.
While Dr. McCance-Katz says the figures showing a decline in opioid and heroin use are “positive findings,” she says increased marijuana use in people aged 12 to 17, and 26 and older, is “problematic.”
Even so, marijuana use stayed the same on average among people between 18 and 25 years of age, an age group McCance-Katz says SAMHSA was especially focused on after previously seeing a marked increase in young people smoking pot.
