And I'm Sure that France Is Complaining About Cheap American Goods Flooding the Market

So I got back home to see the family. I had a chance to speak with a cousin of mine, who works in a foundry. Considering the economy, I was afraid that he'd been laid off but Billy surprised me by saying that they're busier than ever.

Why? It's simple.

"The dollar is lower in Europe, so everything we make is being shipped overseas."

I hope that all you American-made protectionists out there take note of that. The only thing keeping America from a full-blown recession right now is our vibrant export market, which is only possible because of NAFTA, GATT and all of those bilateral trade agreements that have been demonized in the past ten years.

But don't take my word for it. Check out this NYT article.

In the first half of the year, profits earned at home by American companies grew not at all compared with a year earlier, according to an analysis by Moody’s Economy.com. But profits abroad soared by 22 percent.

Isn't this how globalization is supposed to work?

Pat Buchanan's War Against Chinese Imports

WASHINGTON - Writer, former presidential candidate and resident whackjob Pat Buchanan thundered against 'cheap, foreign chinese-made citizens'.

"People, haven't we learned enough from the lead paint scare? These reproductions are nothing but cheap chinese knock-offs! We need to ban these imports before they do tremendous and irreparable damage to the body politic."

Consumer groups across the nation expressed concern at Buchanan's recent attacks, noting that eliminating these imports would be blatantly racist, but that 'extensive testing was certainly called for'.

Thomas Barnett: The Pentagon's New Strategy For War and Peace

You Might Be a Third World Despot If...

You have to start taking your diplomats' children hostage to ensure they don't defect...

Have You Heard the News?

The News: Rival students clash in Lebanon university; one dead.

The Leftist: Oh god, now Bush is going to send troops!

The Neocon: Oh God, now Bush has got to send troops!

The Postmodernist: But how do we know what we mean by 'dead'?

The Islamist: The House of Dar al Islam must stop killing its own.

The Stoner: Awesome - the Clash is playing at Leb U!

Pat Robertson: This was foretold in the Book of Revelation. The Rapture is coming soon!

The French: We oppose the US doing anything. Or nothing.

The Sports Fan: But how does if affect the Bears' playoff chances?

Joe Sixpack: Where is Lebanon, anyway?