U.S.-China Trade: How Long Will the U.S. Be China's Doormat?

Enough already!

Prior to the G-20 meeting in Toronto in late June, the Obama administration decided that the 20 leaders would mostly focus on Europe because "China had announced plans to allow the yuan to rise". Having personally railed against China's unfair trade practices for the better part of the last four years, including its outrageous 40% or so undervaluation of the yuan or renminbi, as I said back then, this was like being told to forget about a very bad hangover.

The proof that this particular hangover continues, however, is that since China's promise to President Obama to let the renminbi float to its 'natural level', despite a pitifully low 0.8% rise against the dollar within the first two weeks after the promise was made, China has recently purposely pushed the yuan exchange rate back to its June level. At this rate, China will take longer to remedy its currency manipulation than it takes for Hell to freeze over.

When it comes to speaking at once from the heart and the gut on behalf of American workers, there's no one better than Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), who said back in June and several times since, that China is great at gaming the system on trade and thus the President "shouldn't just check the box and view China's currency abuse and its numerous other trade abuses closed". Even more pointedly, the Senator and ten of his colleagues, in a recent letter to the President, have elaborated on their views of China's persistent trade abuses by saying that the administration's focus on growing gross exports should instead have been on net exports (i.e., our trade balance) and in any event it "must not and cannot come at the expense of ensuring a fair playing field for our manufacturers."

The eleven Senators, I should add, also decried "the Department of Commerce's unwillingness to use the trade enforcement authorities and tools it has readily available to defend American manufacturers and workers against unfairly subsidized imports." I and many others have made this point for years, and it is especially nettlesome that it is now being made against the non-actions of the Obama administration. I would go even one step further, however, and move trade enforcement to a fully enabled and funded office in the Justice Department -- trade negotiation and the enforcement of agreements are distinct activities requiring very different skills, and enforcement best belongs with 'enforcers', not with those who negotiated the trade agreements.

President Obama's current hide-the-pea approach regarding China trade is of course in complete contradiction to Candidate Obama's promises throughout the '08 campaign, which he most notably advanced in a speech he gave to the United Steelworkers on July 2, 2008. In that speech he said: "Change is knowing that for trade to work for America, it has to work for all Americans; that we have to stand up to countries that are manipulating their currency or flooding our markets with subsidized goods; that it's wrong to have a "one-size fits all" trade policy that treats countries as different as China and Mexico as if they were the same; and that our job ends not when a trade deal is signed, but when it's enforced." Mr. Obama's tolerance today of China's trade abuses also contradicts the assertion of Tim Geithner in his January 2009 confirmation hearing to become Secretary of Treasury that China is a trade cheat and a "currency manipulator".

The President's views also run counter to the views of nearly two-thirds of Americans who, according to the latest polls, are only somewhat or not at all confident that the administration has the right domestic and trade policies to improve the economy and believe that:

• Foreign trade has been bad for the U.S. economy because imports have reduced demand for American-made goods and cost jobs here at home;
• We are at a tipping point as a nation when it comes to offshoring American jobs;
• Free trade agreements or FTAs lead to job losses; and
• There should be tough regulations to limit imports of foreign goods.

It's important to look at what's happened since the Toronto meeting in June to understand the absurdity of the administration's continued aversion to confronting China:

• China's overall trade surplus surged in July to28.7 billion, its highest level in 18 months. Its surplus with just the U.S. was about26 billion, or an almost unbelievable 90% of the total. China's exports rose 38% year on year, while its pace of growth in imports slowed sharply.
• After three decades of double-digit growth, China just passed Japan to become the world's second-largest economy behind only the United States, and it will now pass the U.S. as the world's biggest economy as early as 2030. This year China's economy is forecast to expand about 10%. China passed Germany last year to become the world's biggest exporter.

When China wins in trade, as it now does every day, it's really only the U.S. which loses. In fact, for the last several years the correlation has been almost dollar for dollar. In June, for example, the overall U.S. trade deficit in goods and services surged 19% to a 21-month high of $50 billion, and of this figure, 53% or $26 billion was with China, which matches, almost to the dollar, China's own overall trade surplus during the month of $28 billion.

Obviously, China is not our only problematic trading partner. With our neighbor Mexico, for example, the U.S. has an expanding trade deficit of around $6.0 to $6.5 billion per month, while in June our deficit with the European Union ballooned by 26% to $8 billion. Yet China's enormous positive trade balance with the U.S. alone reduces each year our country's GDP by more than $400 billion or nearly three percent. When the U.S. reorders and reforms this relationship, we will be sending a strong message to all nations that it's finally, really time for them to trade fairly with America. No more unbridled 'free trade' with anyone - now only 'fair free trade' with everyone.

Oil imports and consumer goods from China account for nearly 100% of America's trade deficit, and while Congress still has to decide what it has in mind for energy reform, the solutions related to trade are simple and obvious, so obvious in fact that Candidate Obama pretty much laid their principals out when he addressed the Steelworkers on that sweltering day in July 2008. Going forward, it is imperative - for financial, employment, competitiveness and national security reasons -- that the administration and Congress:

1. Go after all of China's illegal subsidies, not just its currency manipulation, while also putting a quick halt to China's persistent theft of America's hard-gained, valuable intellectual property or IP, which zaps our economy almost as much as China's adverse currency moves. Many of China's practices provide its companies with a clear-cut "counteravailable subsidy" and they need to be treated as such, including China's abysmal environmental practices.
2. Establish buy-domestic and other domestic investment requirements for federal procurement and for grants to states and local governments to the fullest extent allowed under our various trade agreements and the WTO. The U.S. is almost alone among the developed nations and China in not having a significant buy-domestic government procurement program, yet no single stimulus effort would do more to resuscitate U.S. employment, especially manufacturing employment, and materially reduce our nation's massive trade deficit.
3. Bring what's called a Section 301 case at USTR against China's "Indigenous Innovation Production Accreditation Program" that was promulgated on November 15, 2009. This Program limits all Chinese central and provincial government procurement to companies that have "indigenous" - or Chinese - "innovation", and embedded in it are China's two so-called 'trade advantages', namely, (i) regulations to block non-Chinese firms from selling their products to Chinese government agencies and (ii) rules that force Western companies to give up technological secrets in exchange for access to China's markets. Because China is still not a member of the WTO Government Procurement Code, a Section 301 action is the only remedy currently available.
4. Establish strong review procedures for any planned investments by China in our nation's ports and transportation industry, natural resources, financial markets, "Advanced Technical Products" manufacturing, and items deemed by Defense to be "militarily critical". Before a controlling or influencing investment is made, there should be a "national security impact statement" prepared jointly by Commerce and Defense for the Congress and the administration which considers the investment's defense, security and infrastructure implications.

These policies aren't protectionist, anti-globalization or un-American -- they are simply good, necessary, balanced and reciprocal. Absent them and related actions, however, including securing that "fair playing field for our manufacturers" which the eleven Senators just demanded, China's massive foreign reserves (mostly of U.S. dollars) and its pervasive global mercantilist agenda will have even more dire repercussions for America's competitiveness in the world, our overall economic well being, and our national and military security.

President Obama needs to listen to the American people and treat this entire issue more urgently. If he does not, then his relationship with workers and voters will be even more challenged than it is now. The United States must be as aggressive in defending its economic interests as China is in advancing its own, and if the administration won't act, then it is time - perhaps already past time -- for Congress to hold hearings this fall and provide badly needed legislation and oversight.

With the exception in the short term of large-scale investing in infrastructure, nothing would be as helpful in putting millions of Americans back to work as meaningful China-related trade reform.

Leo Hindery, Jr. is Chairman of the US Economy/Smart Globalization Initiative at the New America Foundation and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Currently an investor in media companies, he is the former CEO of Tele-Communications, Inc. (TCI), Liberty Media and their successor AT&T Broadband. He also serves on the Board of the Huffington Post Investigative Fund.

 

Comments

[samhunt66]

05:02 PM on 08/28/2010

Great post! So very true.
Zhu's back! See his hanranguring, harrassing comments on another great China trade post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/usha-haley/the-pandoras-box-of-trade_b_695662.html

[Zhuubaajie]

03:54 PM on 08/29/2010

77:

Or is it 66 - which alias are you spotting today? Thank you for the unsolicited endorsement !!

I think how these open forums work is that you present facts and exercise your persuasive powers, and hopefully get that imperceptible nod or two once in a while. It never occurs to me how these comments can get to the level of "hanranguring , harassing".

There is no doubt that the American economy and jobs are the most important topics on everyone's mind today, and rightfully so. But it is also clear that trying to beggar thy neighbor is not the way to move ahead: (a) it does not work, and will not bring back jobs to America; and (b) protectionism begets same, and will block America and Americans from profits and opportunities in the best performing economy in the world today.

[Zhuubaajie]

10:00 PM on 08/27/2010

By June, 2009, the total number of U.S. investment projects in China had exceeded 57,000 and the value of accumulated U.S. investment in China reached 61 billion dollars. These U.S. companies operating in China REPORT annual profits of at least 80 billion U.S. dollars. The actual profits are of course much higher, as they are hidden with transfer pricing moves. According to the American Chamber of Commerce in China's 2009 White Paper, about 74 percent of American businesses in China made profits and 91 percent chose to stay in China to expand their business. Many of these businesses are enjoying not only whatever industrial policies promulgated by Beijing, but they are also enjoying preferred status, advantaged over the locals.

On the other hand, cumulated Chinese direct investments in the U.S., due to the hostility shown by the American Congress, has been only US$3.1 Billion by June 2009.

If the hostility continues, the climate for American companies operating in or selling to China will also deteriorate.

[markgendala]

06:24 AM on 08/27/2010

Dear RW11, thank you for participating in my little thought experiment -

Having just lost your $50.000 a year job to someone able to perform the same task from another region of the world for only $5.000 (remember "comparative advantage"?) let us assume that you
are now sweeping the splendid streets of New York at $10 per hour.
You're lucky - I don't think some giant robotic "broom-equipped arm" reaching into New York from Asia will be trying to put you out of business at $2 an hour...

Shocking news from India - I'm told that my $5.000 per year contractor has just sacked his $3.000 per year sub-contractor and replaced him with a Nigerian economics graduate who is happy to do the same job for only $4 per day! Ehmmm?

Guess what - the Nigerian guy is bright as a button... He could run circles around you with basic phrases like "it's not a zero sum game", "comparative advantage", "that's capitalism", "free trade multiplies the world's wealth", "let's lift the millions out of poverty" etc...etc... Unbelievable!

As for the poor $3.000 per year Indian sub-contractor who has lost out to someone doing the same job at $4 per day - well, he can start sweeping the streets of a major city... Just like you.

Sincerely,

Mark Gendala
Melbourne, Australia
www.ssotu.com

[cincinnati]

03:25 PM on 08/26/2010

We MUST have Fair Trade !

Free trade, or basically letting Red China, etc. take our manufacturing, is ruining the US !

While the Dem's have some responsibility for this it is mostly the GOP like Bush and those
in Congress, like nasty John Boehner, that have pushed this foolish policy.

Manufacturing is important in so many ways, and you'd think the right wing would know
it's critical for defense if we ever need it against China or other nuts.

Call or write Congress and demand real FAIR TRADE .....

[Zhuubaajie]

05:25 PM on 08/26/2010

DEFINE FAIR.

Even though the trade numbers are $300B vs. $70B (Imports/Exports w/ China), more profits are made on those exports by American companies than China's exports to the U.S. Also, since a large portion of the "exports" from China are actually done by AMERICAN companies that happen to be producing in China, if you add in those profits also, the relationship is clearly ONE SIDED, with the American side making more than 80% of ALL profits in the trade relationship.

So the first thing is to balance that more FAIRLY?

[cincinnati]

05:32 PM on 08/27/2010

frankly don't have the time now for a long debate......but clearly China has used this situation to their advantage, as in stealing foreign technology .......for example on their new car companies, which in some cases are making cars that are practically copies of US or European ones.......and yes, it's the West's fault too for encouraging so much trade and technology with a country run by dictators and out to hurt the rest of us......

no, I'm not right wing, I'm left, but anyone can see their goal is domination.....look how they treat Chinese who just want to organize for exercise.....it's seen as "political" and they get jail and torture !!

[RW11]

08:07 PM on 08/26/2010

Yeah, fair trade.

Where we get to stop any imports we don't like and they have to take everything we make.

Prior to the recession (which had nothing to do with China), US manufacturing output was at an all time high. Twice as high as 1980. Three times as high as 1970. Check out http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/OUTMS.

[DeuxExMachina]

09:26 AM on 08/26/2010

As I've said that the US war in Afghanistan is one of the sources of drain on the USA's economy. The link below is an article related to corruption with development aid in Afghanistan:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/26/world/asia/26kabul.html?_r=2&emc=na

To quote from the above article:
"An American official said the practice of paying government officials was sensible, even if they turn out to be corrupt or unsavory. "

My question is where can I go to get my share of this "sensible" money?

[Zhuubaajie]

05:27 PM on 08/26/2010

You can't, because you are obviously a plebeian and you don't count. Your vote does not count, your opinion does not count, and your suffering nobody in the Beltway cares about.

Face reality.

[markgendala]

08:44 AM on 08/26/2010

Dear RW11, a little thought experiment -

Imagine I am employing you to send out your exquisite emails as part of my $2 million world-wide contract to promote globalization and free trade.
I'm paying you around $50.000 a year as we operate from the US, where the cost of supporting an average family is say $600 per week...
But you've got a problem - it's me, your employer...
See, one day a fellow from India tells me that he is familiar with your work, has memorized all your excellent arguments and can now send the same anti-protectionist, free trade, globalization emails throughout the world for only $5.000 per year - a lot of money in some parts of India.

So, you're fired - after all I want to save that $45.000 per year... Soon you've lost your house, perhaps even your family had left and you end-up on a park bench. Why?
Were you turning-up for work drunk? No...On drugs? No... Late? No... Were you insubordinate or lazy?
Never... In fact, I sense you would have been quite a model employee.

See, your problem was that living in a country with an average cost of living of $600 per week, you
could not compete with a person doing the SAME WORK from a country with an average cost of
living of $60 per week. Nobody can - I suggest nobody should have to.

Sincerely,
Mark Gendala
Melbourne, Australia

[Zhuubaajie]

05:32 PM on 08/26/2010

I think the Aussies actually struck a relatively good balance. Australians do not let the environ-mentals from the funny farms take over (as in the U.S.), and the Aussies make a relatively good living selling dirt (ores and coal) and vapors (gas). America is every bit as rich in minerals and oil and gas, and of course coal. Yet America simply is not competitive in exporting those.

Digging and processing dirt in general, and also building the infrastructure for exporting said dirt, cannot be outsourced, and could be a very good and long term source of jobs creation.

[RW11]

08:54 PM on 08/26/2010

The Australian economy is primarily a services economy (70%+ of GDP).

Mining's gross value add (around 7% of GDP) is smaller than that of manufacturing (around 9% of GDP) and is absolutely dwarfed by services.

Australia has had 17+ years if uninterrupted economic growth and did not suffer a recession during the global financial crisis.

Unemployment is around 5.5%.

Australia also has a current account deficit to rival the US. But they don't lose much sleep over it.

[PittStan65]

08:08 PM on 09/07/2010

As usual Zhuubaajie, you should read more than China Daily and Chinese official propoganda aimed at lowly underlings like you. See the latest BusinessWeek
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/10_37/b4194044972388.htm

It looks like the Aussies are very upset about Chinese investment.

Sound familiar?!?!

[RW11]

08:06 PM on 08/26/2010

Mr Gendala,

It is not the zero sum game you think it is.

China and India can rise at the same time as the US remains the richest country in the history of the world.

The current bad times were caused by the recession, which was completely homegrown and had nothing to do with China or India.

Americans should have to compete against everybody in the world. That's capitalism. That's the free market. If another country has a comparative advantage in something then they should do it. We should buy the product off them and use our resources to produce those things in which we have a comparative advantage. That is basic economics. It's the same thing that happens between New York and California.

And, by the way, the reasons why Indians and the Chinese get paid low wages is because they are not as productive as Americans.

[AjS2010]

07:12 AM on 08/26/2010

"How Long Will the U.S. Be China's Doormat?" is the wrong question to ask. Try it with this one: "How long will american citizens be the doormat of a corrupt plutocratic elite?"

[RW11]

02:33 AM on 08/26/2010

In 2009 we imported around $300bn worth of products from China - http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/c5700.html#2009.

In 2009, total spending in the US by consumers, businesses and governments was around $14,600bn - http://www.bea.gov/national/nipaweb/TableView.asp?SelectedTable=5&ViewSeries=NO&Java=no&Request3Place=N&3Place=N&FromView=YES&Freq=Year&FirstYear=2007&LastYear=2009&3Place=N&Update=Update&JavaBox=no

So, about 2% of US spending was on products from China.

Why on earth does Leo get so worked about about a lousy two pennies in the dollar?

The trade deficit reflects the difference between domestic savings and investment. No more and no less. In the recession, savings went up and investment went down. The savings/investment gap narrowed and so did the trade deficit. Unemployment went through the roof. Now things are picking up so the savings/investment gap is widening. So too goes the trade deficit. And unemployment is coming down.

It's basic economics that Leo seems incapable of understanding.

[renes]

05:58 AM on 08/27/2010

27.8% of the U.S. work force are unemployed or underemployed. Things are not "picking up".

Nouriel Roubini puts the odds of a double-dip recession at 40%.

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm

"Both the number of unemployed persons, at 14.6 million, and the unemployment
rate, at 9.5 percent, were unchanged in July. "

http://www.gallup.com/poll/142169/Underemployment-Mid-August.aspx

"Underemployment, as measured by Gallup, is 18.3% in mid-August, essentially unchanged since the end of June. Underemployment peaked at 20.4% in April but has not been able to break below its current level this year."

45.25% of the U.S. goods deficit comes from its trade deficit with China.

That is money that leaves the U.S. economy.

When they lend that money back to us, we pay interest on it and even more ends up leaving the U.S. economy.

http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/statistics/highlights/annual.html

The 2009 goods deficit ($501.2 billion) was the lowest since 2002 ($468.3 billion).

The 2009 deficit with China ($226.8 billion) was the lowest since 2005 ($202.3 billion).

http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/top/dst/2009/12/deficit.html

[RW11]

08:47 PM on 08/27/2010

Unemployment is still high. But the economy is picking up compared to the doldrums it was in during the middle of the recession.

In any event, the recession (which caused the unemployment) has nothing to do with spending two pennies in the dollar on stuff from China.

As I stated, the trade deficit reflects the imbalance between domestic savings and investment. Nothing more. Nothing less. If you want to bring down the trade deficit then increase US savings rates, starting with the federal budget deficit.

The other option is to plunge the economy into a deep recession, choking off investment. Oh, we already tried that. That's why the goods deficit and the deficit with China were low in 2009. When the trade deficit fell by 40% in 2009, did that indicate good or bad economic times? What happened to unemployment? See http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/statistics/historical/goods.pdf

See http://italy.usembassy.gov/pdf/other/RL31032.pdf for a good explanation of what causes the trade deficit and what can be done about it.

[DOR2]

10:14 PM on 08/25/2010

“Good morning, and welcome to Mal-Wart!”
Hey, thanks.

“Before you enter, would you mind answering a couple of questions?”
Um, OK, why not?

“Great. Would you support buying locally made products, even if they cost a bit more?”
Uh, sure.

“Hmm. Do you try to avoid imports whenever possible, and buy things that are Made in America?”
Yep.

“Oh. Well, I’m sorry but I'm going to have to ask you to leave. We at Mal-Wart have a policy of not doing business with protectionists. May I suggest you try Saks Fifth Avenue or Macy’s, instead?”

Huh?

[Zhuubaajie]

01:58 AM on 08/26/2010

Cute. But do consider the REALITY that, given the discrepancy between $18/hr. and $1/hr. labor, that "a bit more" is likely to be quite a bit more - like double or triple the price for everyday items.

[TankMan]

10:04 PM on 09/07/2010

DOR2 .... we suggest not expending any excess energy debating or listening to Zhuubaajie . His/her history indicates he/she is a paid propagandists for the Chinese Communist Party. Their purpose is to attack anything negative on China 24/7 no matter what the facts. Their purpose it to waste your time and distract you from taking actions politically against their regime.

We suggest the best immediate use of your obvious energy would be to focus on contacting your political representatives that our free society allows. Using http://www.congress.org/ makes it easy as all you need is your zip code and all their contact information is there.

Tell them your views on Communist China's negative influence on American society & economy .... and demand they take action to stop it. Assure your representative that you & a large number of your local family and friends will be following their actions as well.

Again, don't waste your energy ... your time is too valuable.

[Konnie]

06:28 PM on 08/25/2010

till the loan is paid...............

[Ramkshrestha]

04:20 PM on 08/25/2010

See and wait and wait and see.

[Trapped Wind]

03:34 PM on 08/25/2010

The assumption is we're not at war with China economically. We are. As of right now, the facts prove we are laying prostrate on the floor in a MMA submission hold. Do we tap out and concede we've lost or do we try a reversal? Of course, we try the reversal but we still may lose as it happens so often in MMA. Unfortunately, our country as fallen victim to short term, quarterly report, greed oriented thinking versus an opponent that has been looking long term for decades. It time for us to do the same thing and forget about three months from now or even a year from now.

[norkas]

03:17 PM on 08/25/2010

Here is what I do not understand.

The so called fair trade with China is not working for America at all and everyone knows that.

Our trade agreements were done in good faith that it would be somewhat fair and balanced for America and that is not the case .

We are loosing manufacturing jobs in the millions and are being overwhelmed to the point we everyone is understanding most of these millions of jobs will never come back.

This trade agreement does not work we tried and China does know that.

It is time to change the agreement NOW before unjust hate and negative conversations becomes the norm for many Americans against China.

Republicans and Democrats must sit down and start a discussion with economist here and globally and seek a better solution.

There are many answers but we must move forward ignorance prevails and spews the foolishness we want NO part of directed at China.

Now it is up to all of you to E-mail and call the White House and your Representatives and let them know you want them to begin discussions now about the unfair trade with China.

China has done nothing wrong they are living by the laws we are fools now because it is not working.

GET INVOLVED NOW !

[Foodgrade]

03:54 PM on 08/25/2010

Except... The republican abd Democratic leadership are the ones who sold us out. They had a personal financial interest in the outsourcing, still do. Clinton, Fienstein, Bush, Cheney and many others. They also owned stock in the banks they bailed out.

I sone how doubt that they are going to personally sacrifice millions of dollars a year, because Americans are out of work. Really, the onlything left to us is the boycott. But people just keep buying that Toyota and driving to WalMart. Others, go to WalMart when they get off work for half pay at the Toyota factory, or the Changyung factory, or the Seimens factory, or the Rantasori factory, or the...

We are a colony again.

[OldTulsan]

08:50 PM on 08/25/2010

Toyota Camry is the most American car sold:

http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2010/autos/1006/gallery.american_made/index.html
10 'most American' cars - 1. Toyota Camry (1) - CNNMoney.com

The American workers of Toyota, et.a. don't get paid what UAW workers get, or used to get, but they make more than the Mexican workers building Ford Fusions, about $ 25/day.

As far as Wal-mart, most of the people who shop there cannot afford to buy American even if they wanted to.

I'm still finding people who have never heard of offshoring, relocation of manufacturing, or forces destroying jobs, thanks to the mainstream media.

We who know about job destruction need to be modern-day Paul Reveres.

[Zhuubaajie]

04:04 PM on 08/25/2010

WHY do you think it was not working for America?

China has been America's biggest BENEFACTOR for the last 20 years, bar none. Year after year, China ships over hundreds of billions of dollars' worth of life's little luxuries, 99% of which are of great quality and AFFORDABLE. As a direct result, America enjoyed two decades of almost no inflation, greatly improved living standards (especially for the lower income folks), and rising asset prices all around. There are of course product defects in some products - no different from America's sending chemicals laden corn and rot infested wheat, and even mad cow implicated beef products to China. Unlike the American exports to China (which much higher margins such as the Boeing airplanes) - Chinese goods sold to American typically has very low single digit margins. Despite the so called trade imbalance, America made more profits from the trade than China did.

More, China provided most of that meager profits back to America in low interest loans. As a result, Americans had money to spend, and life was good. You should note that for most of that 20 years there was no unemployment problems in America - you just can't blame the jobs problem on China.

Despite this largess from the Chinese people, we hear the bellyache of the ingrates. You know, you may just get what you wish for - imagine a consumer market for you WITHOUT affordable, good quality Made in China goods.

[Daphine Johnson]

03:17 PM on 08/25/2010

Tell me why President Obama must address every pending legislation which has never before been taken on by any President in the past sixty years? President Clinton did not resolve as many issues as everyone wants Obama to do. He has tried to address every problem, but continues to receive negative comments from the left and the right, what is up with the media's approach? One minute no government interference and on the other hand he must solve all our problems, give me a break and make up your mind!

[Zhuubaajie]

06:37 PM on 08/25/2010

This is America. Colored folks don't get breaks (even if he is more than 50% white).

[vulpecula762mm]

02:39 PM on 08/25/2010

As long as there is a Right Wing ruling elite.

As long as Americans get fatter

As long as Americans get dumber

As long as the GOP sells out the middle class

As long as 20% of the population believes Moses rode a dinosaur

What did you expect... we have been entrenched in regression since Reagan. Of course we will wind up as someone's doormat