Dream speech

Following is the Dream Speech that no American president will ever be brave enough to make.
(but see note below, after the end of the speech)

My fellow Americans:

I am speaking to you today to let you know that within the last few hours I have completed intensive discussions with the World Trade Organization (WTO) and with China and other countries. 

I have informed WTO that America has given the global free trade experiment a very fair and thorough trial over a number of decades.  We have found that the net result of the experiment is overwhelmingly negative for us.  We have 50 million people unemployed and our towns and cities are tragically diminished versions of what they were in the 1960s.  With so many people unemployed, tax revenue to all levels of government has almost disappeared.  

Therefore I have further informed WTO, China, and other countries, as follows:

+  Effective today, America will no longer obey or be bound by WTO or other international trade regulations or principles.

+  Effective today, a 15% tariff is placed on all imported manufactured goods.  This tariff will be increased to 20% six months from today, and 25% twelve months from today.

The object of the imposition of a tariff structure is to allow American manufacturing to begin to recover, and to give work to Americans, so that Americans can provide food, clothing, and shelter to their families, and can have the dignity that comes from a useful place in society.  

The tariff structure will provide flexibility in the following way.  If country X buys $1 billion/yr worth of manufactured goods from us, the first $1 billion/yr of manufactured goods imported from country X will be free of tariff.  In this way, America demonstrates its belief in trade. 

But America does not believe in a pathological situation where we buy $700 billion worth of goods from country Y while country Y buys only $175 billion worth from us.  This type of situation is not "trade". 

We note that China, in 2006, announced a long-term plan and strategy to make China self-sufficient in all manufactured goods.  The Chinese people have operated their country on an advanced level for 5000 years.  They know what they are doing.  If they are pursuing a policy of self-sufficiency in manufactured goods, it must be a good policy for ALL countries.  An old saying tells us "Sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander".  In other words, what is good for one is good for the other. 

America is ready to trade, as noted above, when other countries buy from us in approximately equal amounts.  But we can no longer submit to sheer exploitation and destruction of our economy and our nation.

In 2011, there was a global economic downturn.  China believed that it would not be spared from the effects, and therefore determined to turn more of its attention inward, to assist the people of China.

Again we follow the lead of China.  America for many decades has had a substantial military presence in numerous areas of the world, and has been involved in the affairs of many countries.  In view of the severe unemployment and economic problems here at home, this Administration will immediately work to greatly reduce our foreign involvements, so we can direct those resources to the home front.  In particular, the resources will be used to assist in the re-development of our manufacturing base, and to assist in returning all Americans to prosperity.  In keeping, I announce the end of the search for new international trade deals, and a very substantial cut in travel to international trade and economics meetings and summits.   

In conclusion, America has met and overcome severe challenges in the past.  From today we look forward to American hard work and initiative applied to the long road ahead to rebuild our manufacturing, rebuild the spirit of our people, and rebuild our nation. 

I thank all Americans for their attention to my statement today.



Comment by Ed Farkas

I say above that no American president will ever be brave enough to make this speech.  However, if nothing is done in the next five years along the lines presented in the speech, the economic situation of America will be much worse than now.

Therefore a future president may be FORCED to make this speech.  Maybe there will be Vietnam-type marches in Washington, of millions of people, with one emphatic message for the President, his or her Administration, the Senate, and the House:

CUT IMPORTS AND RE-ESTABLISH MANUFACTURING, SO THAT AMERICANS CAN HAVE WORK AND THE ECONOMY CAN RECOVER.


Note: If the Dream Speech is ever given, it will be in the future.  Therefore I have put futuristic numbers into the speech!



I saw in a newspaper recently:

A commentator said:  "The economy stubbornly refuses to right itself".

Yes, correct statement, because there is nothing in the economy to allow it to "right itself".  The economy is so far gone that there is no "right itself" mechanism left.  The only way to get the economy going is to take PRO-ACTIVE, OVERT, EXPLICIT ACTION as described in the DREAM SPEECH!