So far as I know, there is no political quid pro quo for decisions on what
products can be imported into the US or exported to other countries, and
scientific concerns about importation of pests are given serious consideration.
Nevertheless, Bill’s suggestion about trading apples for flip-flops hints at
some factors that may ultimately impact negotiator positioning. In this case,
perhaps we should substitute “soybeans” for flip-flops. Has anyone checked
recently to see the value of soybeans and other ag exports from the US to
China? And then of course, we wouldn’t want to anger China into massive
selling of the US securities that they have purchased over the past several
decades while we spent our wealth on meaningless wars. Thus, we are
inextricably linked in a world-wide economy that at times runs rough-shod over
individual winners and losers. In many cases, it is almost impossible to
predict who those winners and losers will be as governments tug on the economic
and political strings that interconnect countries.
Reducing or eliminating minimum wage laws and unemployment insurance would not
and will not solve any apple farmer problems related to US competitive
capabilities in the world market. It would only increase the inequities and
distancing of haves and have-nots in our county, inequities that ultimately
contributed to the riots in major cities in the 1960’s and that have
contributed to current problems in Fergusson, MO. "Those who ignore history
are doomed to repeat it.” It is very difficult to have a vibrant economy in
the midst of anarchy. Increasing the gap between rich and poor while at the
same time burning the bridges that allow social progress for those born into
poverty will almost certainly increase the the probability of lawlessness among
those without any hope for the future. Apple growers who think that they could
live on the current minimum wage should try it for a year, recognizing of
course that one must start the experiment without any housing, without a car,
and with no credit rating.
If you really believe that the free markets (i.e., no minimum wage, no
unemployment benefits) will solve our problems consider this: We already have
a health care system that ranks somewhere around 29th when compared with those
of other nations (and that was true before Obamacare was instituted). Yet we
pay a much higher price for our healthcare than Canada and the European
countries that have better health care systems than we do, a fact that rather
undermines the case that everything works fine if the government allows the
free market (i.e., insurance and pharmaceutical companies and tort lawyers) to
have their own way.
****************************************************************
Dave Rosenberger, Professor Emeritus
Dept. of Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology
Cornell’s Hudson Valley Lab, P.O. Box 727, Highland, NY 12528
Office: 845-691-7231 Cell: 845-594-3060
http://blogs.cornell.edu/plantpathhvl/blog-2014/
****************************************************************
On Aug 15, 2014, at 11:41 AM, Fleming, William <[email protected]> wrote:
> To me it just seems strange that we would allow importing apples from any
> country when we depend on exports ourselves to market the excess amount of
> fruit we produce.
> Maybe I'm just looking at it with too much common sense.
> Then again many times in trade agreements allowing an import of a product is
> traded in exchange for export of another. Who knows, we might be trading
> apples for flip-flops.
> Doesn't benefit the apple grower but may benefit an entirely different
> industry, and a politician's campaign contributors.
>
> Bill Fleming
> Montana State University
> Western Ag Research Center
> 580 Quast Lane
> Corvallis, MT 59828
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [email protected]
> [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Mike Arvay
> Sent: Friday, August 15, 2014 8:26 AM
> To: Apple-crop discussion list
> Subject: [apple-crop] Apples From China?
>
> I'm curious on what the group thinks about this proposed amendment to the
> U.S. Fruit and Vegetable Regulation which will allow the import of apples
> into the U.S. from China.
>
> I don't want this to become a "All things from China are bad." thread.
> But I can see both negative and positive possibilities on allowing this.
> They do recommend additional measures and actions other than the standard
> Port of Entry Inspection.
>
> http://www.regulations.gov/?utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=13804591&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--B9po2Wh9EOEarH4oSyBng8hr9QeyW3LJQbTqn5DyDzYxmuMr2ciJZaLS1t7JjLaavRgsui8ZQ9El8DY6ATo7HsWEkbg&_hsmi=13804591#!documentDetail;D=APHIS-2014-0003-0001
>
> Thanks.
>
> Mike Arvay
> Small Grower in Central Indiana.
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>
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