We now know what Obama is made of when it comes to America First.

[MrLabGuy]

President Obama to water down 'Buy American' plan after EU trade war threat

The European Union warned the US yesterday against plunging the world into depression by adopting a planned “Buy American” policy, intensifying fears of a trade war. The EU threatened to retaliate if the US Congress went ahead with sweeping measures in its $800 billion (£554 billion) stimulus plan to restrict spending to American goods and services. Gordon Brown was caught in the crossfire as John Bruton, the EU Ambassador to Washington, said that “history has shown us” where the closing of markets leads — a clear reference to the Depression of the 1930s, triggered by US protectionist laws. Last night Mr Obama gave a strong signal that he would remove the most provocative passages from the Bill. “I agree that we can’t send a protectionist message,” he said in an interview with Fox TV. “I want to see what kind of language we can work on this issue. I think it would be a mistake, though, at a time when worldwide trade is declining, for us to start sending a message that somehow we’re just looking after ourselves and not concerned with world trade.” Mr Brown does not want to join criticism of President Obama’s stimulus proposals, which he sees as vindicating his own, but the Prime Minister remains strongly anti-protectionist, resisting calls yesterday for more safeguards for British workers. Trade unions demanded a tightening of the law on the use of foreign workers as hundreds again walked out at the Lindsey oil refinery in protest at the hiring of Italian and Portuguese workers, and energy workers around the country followed suit. A spokesman for the Prime Minister refused to condemn the “Buy American” clause. When pressed, the spokesman said that Mr Brown had repeatedly made clear that he was opposed to protectionist measures. He would not say, however, whether Britain was lobbying the new administration to drop the clause. Mr Brown remained in favour of President Obama’s decision to inject cash into the economy. “We are supportive of the approach in the US in terms of their fiscal policy.” The EU warnings came in letters to US political leaders in Congress, Timothy Geithner, the Treasury Secretary, and Hillary Clinton, the Secretary of State. Mr Bruton urged them to respect the decision taken by the G20, the world’s leading economic nations, in Washington last November to resist protectionism as a defence against the crisis. They are expected to meet again in London in April. “Failing this risks entering into a spiral of protectionist measures around the globe that can only hurt our economies further,” he wrote. “Open markets remain the essential precondition for a rapid recovery from the crisis, and history has shown us where measures taken contrary to this principle can lead us.” Under the “Buy American” clause passed by the US House of Representatives, American iron and steel must be used in construction projects that form part of the recovery plan. The US Senate wants to extend the scope of the clause before the Bill goes to the White House for approval. The European Commission’s powerful trade department, a bastion of open markets formerly headed by Lord Mandelson, said yesterday that the “Buy American” clause was “the worst possible signal” that could be sent to world trade.

A spokesman said: “We are particularly concerned about the signal that these measures could send to the world at a time when all countries are facing difficulties. Where America leads, many others tend to follow.” The Commission believes that the US move would violate international trade rules policed by the Geneva-based World Trade Organisation (WTO). The Commission also made clear that it was keeping an equally vigilant eye on protectionist moves within Europe as France prepared to insist that its motor manufacturers buy their parts only from French companies.

Some Stimulus Plan. Sad indeed.

[JVegas]

Can't wait to see what Obama's plan will do to the prices of parts from Germany...get ready to dive into your wallets for parts. What a joke...

[JCL]

We are very lucky here that Obama is standing up to resist those Buy American provisions. So are Americans. A trade war would be disastrous.

[Variant]

Yes, absolutely. President Obama doesn't have America's best interest at heart.

Campaign slogans are almost universally hokey and bereft of actual meaning. "America First" really did suggest some unpleasant things about the patriotism of those Americans who were not supporters of Senator McCain, though.

To the OP - you're certainly entitled to (and encouraged, by me at least) to question the means by which our President tries to further the interests of this country. Such criticism is necessary to, and a hallmark of, a healthy democracy.

It's hard to take your argument seriously, though, if you're going to take a position that's extreme enough to suggest that the motivations behind Mr. Obama's actions are not only misguided, but are such that they don't have the country's best interest at heart.

Really? Are you really arguing that he isn't doing what he thinks is in the best interests of the nation? That's an awfully bitter view, and one that really lacks evidence, I think.

[Eric5273]

Originally Posted by Variant

Really? Are you really arguing that he isn't doing what he thinks is in the best interests of the nation? That's an awfully bitter view, and one that really lacks evidence, I think.

There is no such thing as something being "in the best interests of the nation". The "nation" is just a large group of people, and what is good for some of us is bad for others of us. There is no "best for all" policy. It's a question of choosing who will benefit, and at the expense of who else.

There are obviously many policies that benefit the majority of Americans, but none that benefit everyone. You would hope that the President does choose policies that benefit the majority, but if he does he will be the first to do so in my lifetime.

[X5rolls]

Originally Posted by MrLabGuy

Under the “Buy American” clause passed by the US House of Representatives, American iron and steel must be used in construction projects that form part of the recovery plan.

The Commission believes that the US move would violate international trade rules policed by the Geneva-based World Trade Organisation (WTO).

Some Stimulus Plan. Sad indeed.

What in the heck are the people in the house thinking? Pork spending galore combined with protectionism. Intelligent? Thoughtful? I don't think so.

From another post on the ills of protectionism -

http://www.xoutpost.com/lounge/politi...mpetition.html