On Wednesday, former Mexican President Vincente’ “Criminal Dirt-bag” Fox, decided to weigh in again on OUR Presidential Primary Pageant. He issued a “veiled threat” to the Citizens of the United States that a Donald J. Trump Presidency might start a “trade war” that would be bad for both countries. Really? I would think this man would be smart enough to know that all that will accomplish is to make Mr. Trump’s poll numbers go up? Never mind, he’s the former Mexican President, so he’s probably not that bright to begin with. Corrupt, Yes. Smart, not so much. You just don’t really have to be that smart to be a drug cartel puppet.
But the subject he brings up about a “trade war” needs to be on the table for discussion. For my whole adult life, the “so much smarter” set, in the political and economic sphere, have been threatening the US Citizens by telling US how economically disastrous a “trade war” would be to US. And pushing through disastrous trade deal after disastrous trade deal, as an open form of surrender in the face of a potential “trade war”. And like most of my fellow US Citizens, I just accepted that these geniuses knew what they were doing and/or talking about. I now must question their actions, if not their motives.
Since former President Fox sparked this discussion, let’s look at a little history of the effects of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), better known as our trade “surrender agreement” with Mexico and Canada. The NAFTA was signed in 1991 and went in to affect in 1994. So lets just look at some numbers. In 1993, the last year pre-NAFTA, our trade deficit with Mexico was $1.349 billion, and with Canada was $10.772 billion. In 1994, the first year of NAFTA, our trade deficit with Mexico was $15.808 billion, and with Canada was $13.967 billion. Did you catch that?
After that initial shot, which was actually predicted, we were told that as the economic situation in our neighbors equalized, that through the “rising tide raises all boats theory” espoused by the “free traders”, that we would eventually start seeing the tables turn back the other way and would start to benefit from the brilliance of NAFTA. At that point both Mexico and Canada would become trading partners where we would see net trade surpluses with Mexico and Canada. So at this point, are we now seeing these grand benefits? Well, not so much. In one case, with Canada, we have seen varied success, but still a net loss. With Mexico, NOT EVEN AN ARGUMENT, we lose.
With Canada, we saw that initial NAFTA trade deficit soar to its highest point of $78.341 billion (b.) in 2006, and stayed at near that level through 2008 before it started to trend down to the 2015 numbers of $14.863 b. But we must understand that the biggest component in that Canadian trade deficit falling from $35.377 b. in 2014 to that $14.863 b. in 2015 was the total cratering of oil prices, and fortunately, the expansion of US oil production, combined with our very soft economy. All of the numbers supporting this can be found here- https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/c1220.html
With Mexico, we saw that initial NAFTA trade deficit soar to its highest point of $74.796 b. in 2007, but it has only dropped to its lowest point since NAFTA of $47.762 b. in 2009 following the “Great Recession”. But has not dropped below $50 b. in any year since. It was at $58.363 b. in 2015, rising from $53.825 b. in 2014 in spite of the situation of falling oil prices. So this says to me, this is a result of the explosion of manufactured products being exported to the US from Mexico. Manufactured in plants that picked up and left the US and moved to Mexico, that is undermining the US middle-class. The numbers supporting this can be found here- https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/c2010.html
Now I will admit that this is surely beneficial to the deep-pocket cronies, who own the geniuses who negotiate, these trade “deals”, and those who pass them in to law, but not so much for our neighbors who have been pushed out of their pursuit of the “American Dream”. This happens through no fault of their own other than working hard and, in the view of the globalists and the socialists, living too well. So in response to former President Fox, I’m pretty certain that the majority of the “middle-class” US Citizens are in support of a “trade war’, and millions are supporting Mr. Trump, because they’re damned tired of the results of our previous surrenders.
God Bless America! And America, Please Bless God Again!
