Last week I told a tale of two cousins, an Alabamian scientist and a Floridian engineer whose invention could get you from Fresno to Albuquerque on a mere gallon of gas. I imagine very few, if any, of you tech-enlightened patriots would hassle with the prospect that such innovation would eliminate a few destined-to-be-obsolete American jobs – anymore than you’d have us return to the days of the stagecoach… You understand that technology has improved our lives in myriad ways while producing more and better jobs in the process… You understand that innovation breeds efficiency, greater margins and higher incomes…

But would you be so readily understanding if my scientist had resided in say Taipei as opposed to Tuscaloosa? You’d of course prefer the credit for the energy revolution, not to mention all the jobs, go to the USA – ala the tech-revolution – right? Like the iPad I’m typing on… You know, that notebook designed in America and manufactured in China…

Thank goodness we taxpayers (although we didn’t vote on it) saved General Motors… A real American company providing real American jobs in plants like the one in Shreveport, Louisianna… You know, the one shut down last Sunday due to supply problems with parts coming from Japan…

Okay, so you get the importance of international trade, and I suspect you’d have no problem with it if it were “fair”… Which we know it’s not. But if a country like China wants to treat its people so unfairly by restricting the import of foreign goods, while providing us the goods we desire at the most affordable prices, so be it… If they want to go to the extreme and subsidize their exports to make them cheaper for us (leaving us with discretionary monies to spend, invest and create jobs in the industries where America reigns supreme), if they want to send all that foreign aid our way, who are we to argue with it?

Now if you must get excited about something, get excited about the fact that our government is slated to spend $1+ trillion more than it’ll take in this year… China’s not the problem my friends, we are…

Have a nice week!
Marty