EARLIER THIS YEAR THERE WERE A FEW ROUNDS BACK AND FORTH OF
PROPOSED TARIFFS BETWEEN THE U.S. AND CHINA, DONALD TRUMP
FINALLY GETTING TO MAKE GOOD ON HIS DECADES LONG VENDETTA
AGAINST CHINA, WHETHER REAL OR PERCEIVED, AND SOME OF THE
TARIFFS WERE PUT INTO PLACE, SOME IT IS IMPLIED THAT THEY
WILL GO INTO EFFECT, WE HAVE PUT TARIFFS ON SOME OF THEIR GOODS,
THEY HAVE DONE THE SAME, IT ALREADY HAS HURT A FEW
INDUSTRIES INCLUDING SOYBEANS IN THE U.S., NOW IT'S GOING EVEN
FURTHER, AND IT ISN'T JUST AGAINST CHINA --
FOR EXAMPLE, I BELIEVE THAT CANADA IS THE SINGLE LARGEST
EXPORTER TO US OF THESE TYPES OF METALS, ABOUT SIX TIMES AS MUCH
AS CHINA IS.
SO IF HE IS STICKING A THUMB IN EYE OF CHINA
HE'S STICKING A WHOLE HANDFUL INTO TRUDEAU'S EYES OVER THAT.
THEY AREN'T HAPPY ABOUT IT, TRUDEAU AND OTHERS ARE
RESPONDING, HERE IS TRUDEAU WITH CANADA'S POSITION.
THESE TARIFFS ARE TOTALLY UNDETECTABLE.
THAT CANADA COULD
BE CONSIDERED A NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT TO THE UNITED
STATES IS INCONCEIVABLE.
THESE TARIFFS WILL HARM INDUSTRY AND
WORKERS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE CANADA/U.S. BORDER.
THESE
TARIFFS ARE AN AFFRONT TO THE LONG-STANDING SECURITY
PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES, AND IN
PARTICULAR AN AFFRONT TO THE THOUSANDS OF CANADIANS WHO HAVE
FOUGHT AND DIED ALONGSIDE THEIR AMERICAN BROTHERS IN ARMS.
I'VE
BEEN VERY CLEAR THAT MY INTERACTIONS WITH PRESIDENT
TRUMP HAVE BEEN CLEAR AND FIRM, WE HAVE ALWAYS, AND INDEED HE
HAS ALWAYS, UNDERSTOOD THAT I WILL COME AND DO, STAND UP FOR
CANADIAN INTERESTS AND CANADIAN -- CANADIAN WORKERS.
THIS DECISION BY THE U.S. ADMINISTRATION WILL HURT
CANADIANS, IT WILL HURT AMERICANS, AND WE REGRET THAT
DEEPLY.
OF COURSE THE TARIFFS AGAINST THEM, THAT IS TROUBLE FOR
CANADA, BUT IT TURNS OUT THERE IS ACTUALLY SOMETHING THESE
OTHER COUNTRIES CAN DO IN RESPONSE.
IT'S NEVER BEEN TRIED
BEFORE -- THEY CAN SET UP TARIFFS AGAINST US.
AND IT LOOKS
LIKE THEY ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO DO THAT.
HERE IS THE MINISTER OF
FOREIGN AFFAIRS TALKING ABOUT CANADA'S LIKELY COUNTER ACTIONS.
WE ARE IMPOSING DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR TARIFFS FOR EVERY DOLLAR
LEVIED AGAINST CANADIANS BY THE U.S. WE ARE TODAY BEGINNING A 15
DAY CONSULTATION PERIOD WITH CANADIANS SO THAT THEY MAY
EXPRESS THEIR SUPPORT FOR OR CONCERNS ABOUT THE PROPOSED
COUNTERMEASURES AND THE LISTS OF GOODS.
THIS IS $16.6 BILLION OF
RETALIATION.
THIS IS THE STRONGEST TRADE ACTION CANADA
HAS TAKEN IN THE POSTWAR ERA.
IF YOU'VE BEEN PAYING ATTENTION YOU CAN PROBABLY
UNDERSTAND OR PREDICT WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT, TRUMP WILL GET
PISSED OFF AT WHAT THEY DID, ADD SOME NEW TARIFFS, THEY WILL FEEL
OBLIGATED TO DO THE SAME, WE'VE SEEN THIS PLAY OUT BEFORE, AND I
WANT TO CONTEXTUALIZE THESE COUNTER ACTIONS A LITTLE BECAUSE
SAYING WE ARE GOOD TO PUT TARIFFS ON STEEL AND ALUMINUM,
FOREMOST REGULAR PEOPLE THAT DOESN'T REALLY MEAN ANYTHING, IT
WILL AFFECT YOU, YOU DON'T BUY STEEL BEAMS BUT ALUMINUM GOES
INTO THE CARS YOU BUY, CANS YOU PURCHASE, ALL SORTS OF
APPLIANCES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT THE E.U.
IS ALSO RESPONDING,
THE ECONOMIC REGULATORY COMMISSION MET AND HAS AN
EIGHT-PAGE LIST OF THINGS THEY WILL THEN BE PUTTING TARIFFS ON
THAT INCLUDES --
ANY NUMBER OF DIFFERENT PRODUCTS, WHICH MEANS THAT IF
YOU ARE LIVING IN THE RUST BELT YOU MIGHT SAY LOOK AT TRUMP, HE
IS STANDING UP FOR US, STEEL IS GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE
EXPENSIVE TO EXPORT TO US -- AND THEN THE PRODUCTS THAT YOU MAKE,
WHEN YOU TRY TO SELL THEM ABROAD, AS WE DO AS A COUNTRY,
YOU WILL NOW SELL LESS OF THEM, THERE WILL BE LESS DEMAND FOR
AMERICAN GOODS BECAUSE OF THESE OBVIOUS REACTIONS FROM THE
E.U., CANADA, MEXICO, AND RELATED COUNTRIES.
SO CHINA IS COMING NEXT, AND THIS IS ABOUT 12 TO $16 BILLION
AS THE EXPLAINED FROM CANADA RETALIATING, THE CHINESE ARE
TALKING ABOUT $200 BILLION, THAT WE WOULD DO TO THEM AND THEY
WOULD DO TO US, AND RETALIATION.
BUT I WANT TO STAY ON CANADA FOR
ONE SECOND BECAUSE TRUMP TWEETED OUT THEY MUST OPEN THEIR MARKETS
AND TAKE DOWN THEIR TRADE BARRIERS, THERE REPORT A REALLY
HIGH SURPLUS ON TRADE WITH US.
AND OF COURSE AS USUAL THAT'S
NOT TRUE.
YOU WOULD THINK HE WOULD ACCIDENTALLY GET SOME
THINGS RIGHT.
AND ON THE ISSUE OF THE TRADE SURPLUS, WE HAVE A
TRADE DEFICIT WITH MOST EVERYONE SO IT'S LIKE SHOOTING FISH IN A
BARREL.
THE ONE COUNTRY WE DON'T HAVE A DEFICIT WITH HIS CANADA,
WE ACTUALLY HAVE A TRADE SURPLUS WITH CANADA OF $12.5 BILLION,
AND HE GOT THE ONE COUNTRY WRONG.
BUT IN AN EARLIER
INTERACTION HE BRAGGED ABOUT, TRUDEAU CAME IN HERE AND SAID
THEY HAVE A SURPLUS WITH US -- THAT WE HAVE A SURPLUS WITH
THEM, AND I MADE IT UP THAT WE DON'T, I TOLD HIM WE HAVE A
DEFICIT, I MADE IT UP.
WHY ARE YOU BRAGGING ABOUT THAT?
WHAT A
WEIRDO YOU ARE, WHAT A STRANGE MAN YOU ARE.
AND WHAT IS THE
POINT OF THAT STORY, WHAT DOES IT PROVE OTHER THAN THE FACT
THAT YOU ARE A PATHOLOGICAL LIAR?
AND YOU KNOW THEY COULD
JUST LOOK IT UP, RIGHT?
YOU KNOW THEY AREN'T JUST GOING TO TAKE
YOUR WORD FOR IT AND BE LIKE, OKAY, I GUESS THE U.S. HAS A
DEFICIT, FINE, YOU WIN.
BECAUSE HE'S USED TO MAKING THESE
BACKROOM DEALS, OH, YEAH, I'LL GIVE YOU THAT IF YOU GIVE ME
THIS, AND THEN YOU'LL ABOUT IT AND THE GUY DOESN'T FIND OUT --
YOU ARE THE PRESIDENT, THEY ARE GOING TO FIND OUT!
BUT I'M SUPER
CURIOUS WHAT YOU GUYS THINK ABOUT THE TRADE OVERALL, AND
SOME OF THESE SANCTIONS THAT ARE BEING -- NOT SANCTIONS BUT
OBVIOUSLY TARIFFS THAT ARE BEING PUT INTO PLACE.
OBVIOUSLY THIS IS ALL RIDICULOUS, BUT WHAT IS A SHAME
IS THAT IT ALSO DISTRACTS FROM THE MEDIUM AND LONG-TERM ISSUE,
AND THAT IS OUR TRADE AGREEMENTS ARE BROKEN.
THE FIX ISN'T
IMPOSING TARIFFS, THE FIX IS NEGOTIATING ON BEHALF OF WORKERS
RIGHTS SO THERE IS RECIPROCITY, BECAUSE OUR WORKERS ARE GETTING
THE SHORT END OF THE STICK RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE WE ARE TRADING WITH
COUNTRIES THAT ALLOW IN MANY CASES SLAVE LABOR, THAT DON'T
HAVE APPROPRIATE HUMAN RIGHTS ENFORCEMENT IN LABOR PRACTICES,
SO OUR WORKERS ARE AT A DISADVANTAGE.
WHAT WE OUGHT TO
BE DOING WITH OUR POWER AROUND THE WORLD IS NOT IMPOSING CRAZY
TARIFFS THAT LEAD TO WAR, BUT RATHER ADVOCATING FOR MORE HUMAN
RIGHTS, FOR MORE WORKERS' RIGHTS, SO THAT IF YOU WANT TO
ENTER INTO A TRADE AGREEMENT WITH THE UNITED STATES YOU HAVE
TO CALL YOUR WORKERS THE RIGHTS THAT OUR WORKERS HAVE SO THERE
IS AN EVEN PLAYING FIELD.
IN THIS SITUATION, IF YOU DRAW IT
UP OVER A LONG TIME, IS IN PART OWNED BY THE CORPORATE
DEMOCRATS.
THE UNIVERSE HATES A VACUUM, AND OVER THE LAST FEW
YEARS THAT HASN'T BEEN A COUNTER TO THE UNFETTERED ENTHUSIASM FOR
GLOBAL TRADE.
DEMOCRATS HAVE SAID NO HARD NEGOTIATING IN
TRADE DEALS, WHICH HAS SOLD US DOWN THE RIVER.
SO OUR RESPONSIBILITY AS DEMOCRATS IS TO ADVANCE A
PROGRESSIVE TRADE AGENDA BASED ON EQUALIZING WORKER RIGHTS
AND HUMAN RIGHTS AROUND THE WORLD, AND MAYBE THIS IS A
CHANCE WHILE PEOPLE ARE PAYING ATTENTION TO THE QUESTION
OF TRADE WHERE WE CAN START RAISING THAT ISSUE.
I JUST WANT TO SAY HOW PROPHETIC THAT SOUTH PARK MOVIE
WAS, BECAUSE WE ARE GOING TO HAVE THAT WAR WITH CANADA WITH
ERIC CARTMAN AS PRESIDENT.
AND IT MAKES NO SENSE, BECAUSE MOST
OF THE THINGS TRUMP DOES MAKE NO SENSE EXCEPT TO HIM, SO I FEEL
LIKE THIS IS A SOCIAL AND PERSONALITY PATHOLOGY THAT
HAPPENING WHERE HE WANTS TO ISOLATE HIMSELF FROM EVERYONE
AND EVERYTHING.
OBVIOUSLY WE NEED INTERNATIONAL SOLUTIONS TO
INTERNATIONAL PROBLEMS, ONE OF THE THINGS THIS HURTS THE MOST
IS THE UNITED STATES SOLAR INDUSTRY WHICH IS ALREADY A 30%
TARIFF ON SOLAR PANELS, WE NEED CHINESE SOLAR PANELS TO SOLVE
THE GLOBAL PROBLEM OF CLIMATE CHANGE, AND OF COURSE TRUMP HAS
UNILATERALLY WITHDRAWN US FROM THE PARIS ACCORDS AS WELL.
I
THINK HE LIKES TO ACT ON HIS OWN EVEN IF IT IS IN NO ONE'S
INTERESTS, JUST TO MAKE TROUBLE.
AND WHAT IS UNFORTUNATE THIS
WEEK IS THAT IT MAKES JUSTIN BIEBER -- I MEAN JUSTIN TRUDEAU
-- LOOK GOOD AT A TIME WHEN HE JUST NATIONALIZED THE CANADIAN
TAR SANDS PIPELINES AND BECAME AN OIL TYCOON, AND SHOULDN'T
LOOK GOOD ABOUT ANYTHING RIGHT NOW.
THE WHOLE INTERNATIONAL
COMMUNITY SHOULD BE COMING TOGETHER TO ROUNDLY CONDEMN
JUSTIN TRUDEAU'S ACTION AGAINST PIPELINE ACTIVISTS, AGAINST THE
ENVIRONMENT, AGAINST FIRST NATIONS IN CANADA THAT THOSE
PIPELINES ARE GOING TO RUN THROUGH THEIR TERRITORIES, AND
NOBODY WANTS THAT EXCEPT FOR THE OIL INDUSTRY.
SO RIGHT NOW IT'S
A MASSIVE DISTRACTION FROM SOMETHING THAT JUSTIN TRUDEAU
DID THAT IS REALLY HORRIBLE.
I WANT EVERYBODY TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE THINGS
ARE NON-BINARY, LIKE EITHER YOU SAY YES TO THE CORPORATE TRADE
DEALS OR YOU SAY LET'S DO A TRADE WAR.
THOSE AREN'T YOUR
ONLY TWO OPTIONS, AND IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE IF THE PRESIDENT IS
INTELLIGENT OR NOT, OR CARES ABOUT YOUR INTERESTS ARE NOT.
I
THINK JOE IS EXACTLY RIGHT, THERE IS A WAY TO NEGOTIATE
THESE DEALS THAT IS BETTER FOR YOU GUYS.
SO WHEN TRUMP SAID
THAT ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL IT MADE SENSE, AND IT APPEALED TO
PEOPLE BECAUSE THEIR WAGES ARE SO LOW AND THEY SAW THEIR JOBS
BEING SHIPPED OUT.
I ALWAYS GO BACK TO NICK SMITH, HE'S THE GUY
WE INTERVIEWED, LOCAL ORGANIZER, COMES FROM A COAL MINING FAMILY
IN WEST VIRGINIA, STARTS THE INTERVIEW DURING THE 2016
CAMPAIGN BY SAYING I AIN'T NOTHING BUT A WHITE TRASH
HILLBILLY FROM THE HOLLER BUT HERE'S WHAT I KNOW.
HE SAYS AT
LEAST TRUMP HAD THE DECENCY TO LIE TO US, THE CORPORATE
DEMOCRATS HAVE BEEN SAYING ALL ALONG THERE IS NO HOPE FOR YOU,
IT'S ALL STATUS QUO, WE ARE GIVING EVERYTHING TO THE
CORPORATIONS -- AND BY THE WAY, DON'T GET ME WRONG, CORPORATE
REPUBLICANS FULLY AGREE -- SO THIS IS THE ONE ISSUE, NOT ON
RACISM, NOT ON ANYTHING ELSE, THE ONE ISSUE THEY STAND UP TO
TRUMP ON.
THEY SAY WAIT A MINUTE, MY CORPORATE DONORS ALSO
WANT UNFETTERED TRADE, THAT IS TRADE DEALS ORGANIZED AND
WRITTEN BY CORPORATIONS, BECAUSE THAT IS THE DONORS FOR CORPORATE
REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS.
SO IF YOU ARE ANGRY AT THIS TALISMAN
YOU ARE RIGHT, UNFORTUNATELY WE WENT THE WRONG DIRECTION TO TAKE
OUT THAT ANGER BECAUSE NOW YOU WON'T GET ANY HELP, YOUR
PRODUCTS WILL BE MORE EXPENSIVE, AND YOU AREN'T GOING TO GET YOUR
JOBS BACK, AND WE ARE GOING TO START A TRADE WAR.
INSTEAD OF
SAYING HEY, INSTEAD OF THE CORPORATIONS WRITING THOSE
DEALS, WHY DON'T THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA AND
THE EUROPEAN UNION RIGHT THOSE DEALS WHERE WE ACTUALLY CARE
ABOUT EACH OTHER'S WORKERS AND LIFT UP THOSE STANDARDS TOGETHER
INSTEAD OF FIGHTING EACH OTHER SENSELESSLY AND DRIVING UP
PRICES AND LOSING JOBS.
WOULDN'T IT BE AMAZING IF AT THE SAME TIME THAT WE ARE
HELPING TO USE THE COMPARISON BETWEEN OUR WORKERS AND WORKERS
IN VIETNAM OR CHINA OR WHEREVER TO RAISE THEM UP TO OUR LEVEL,
IF THE E.U.
COULD ALSO ELBOW US A LITTLE BIT TO GET OUR WORKERS RIGHTS
UP TO THEIRS.
EVENTUALLY THE VIETNAMESE WILL BE LIKE, YOU GUYS HAVE TO HELP
YOUR WORKERS.
UNFORTUNATELY WE MIGHT GET TO THAT POINT.
THERE'S A BIGGER ISSUE HERE THAT IS FASCINATING, BECAUSE
WHEN YOU DO THIS, IT'S CLEAR THAT THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A
FREE MARKET.
YOU KNOW, ALL THESE REPUBLICANS AND CONSERVATIVES
FOR YEARS, OH, THE FREE MARKET, THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE TO HAVE --
NO, OUR ECONOMY IS CREATED, IT'S CREATED BY OUR TAX POLICIES,
IT'S CREATED BY THE WAYS THAT WE ENCOURAGE CORPORATIONS TO JUST
BASICALLY EXTRACT THINGS OUT OF THE EARTH AND THEN RAPE AND
PILLAGE THE ENVIRONMENT AND DO THAT WITHOUT ACTUALLY ANY KIND
OF NEGATIVE IMPACTS ON THE BOTTOM LINE.
BUT WHAT THIS SHOWS
IS THAT YOU COULD USE GOVERNMENT POLICY TO ACTUALLY CREATE BETTER
THINGS FOR WORKING PEOPLE, BETTER THINGS FOR POOR PEOPLE,
BETTER THINGS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.
INSTEAD THIS IS A
WEIRD LASHING OUT THAT TRUMP ALWAYS DOES, BUT IT POINTS OUT
THE FACT THAT WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE, ROBERT REICH AND OTHERS
HAVE BEEN SAYING FOR MANY YEARS, THERE IS NO FREE MARKET.
OUR
ECONOMIES ARE RIGGED, AND THEY ARE RIGGED TO BENEFIT THE
WEALTHIEST AMONG US, AND WE COULD IN FACT INTERVENE IN THE
WAY THAT CAPITALISM WORKS AND DO IT IN ALL SORTS OF WAYS THAT
WOULD HELP PEOPLE, BUT WE DO IT IN WAYS THAT HURT MOST PEOPLE.
IN THIS CASE WITH TRUMP.
BUT IT SHOWS THAT THE PHILOSOPHY OF
NEVER TOUCH THE FREE MARKET IS A COMPLETE LIE, AND HAS BEEN FOR
DECADES.
WHAT IS WORSE IS THAT THE ONLY TIME DEMOCRATS AND
REPUBLICANS WANT TO TOUCH THE FREE MARKETS ARE WHEN COMPANIES
NEED HELP.
BUT WHEN WORKERS NEED HELP, FORGET IT.
OR JUST PEOPLE.
THIS ISN'T GOING TO HURT JUST POOR PEOPLE
IN AMERICA, IT WILL HURT POOR PEOPLE IN THOSE COUNTRIES WHEN
ALUMINUM CAN PRICES GO UP AND THE BASIC PRICES OF ALL THESE
GOODS GO UP.
FOR THE POOREST PEOPLE IN AMERICA IT WILL BE AN
EXTRA TAX ON THOSE FOLKS, BECAUSE FREE, UNFETTERED
CAPITALISM ALSO HURTS PEOPLE IN OTHER WAYS.
OF COURSE THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS UNFETTERED CAPITALISM,
ADAM SMITH TALKED ABOUT HOW YOU NEED REGULATION OF COURSE, YOU
CAN'T HAVE MONOPOLIES OTHERWISE THAT WOULD COME INTO EFFECT
RIGHT AWAY.
ANYONE WHO HAS EVER STUDIED ECONOMIC SYSTEMS KNOWS
THAT, AND IT'S JUST MARKETING BY THEM.
IN FACT WE DON'T HAVE
UNFETTERED CAPITALISM OR ANYWHERE NEAR IT RIGHT NOW
PARTLY BECAUSE WE HAVE GIGANTIC CRONY CAPITALISM, SO THE TOP 200
CORPORATE GIVERS INTO POLITICS RECEIVE BACK $4.4 TRILLION IN
SUBSIDIES.
WHERE IS YOUR FREE MARKETS?
THERE ARE NO FREE
MARKETS, THEY BUY OUR POLITICIANS THROUGH PRIVATE
FINANCING OF ELECTIONS AND THEN THEY HAVE CRONY CAPITALISM WHERE
THE WEALTHY GET MORE WEALTHY AND THE POWERFUL GET MORE POWERFUL
AND THE REST OF US SUFFER, AND THEN THEY BRING IN A CLOWN FROM
A REALITY SHOW TO DISTRACT YOU AND DO SOME JUGGLING AND SAY I
STARTED A TRADE WAR, THAT SOUNDS TOUGH, IT WON'T HELP YOU AT ALL,
BUT ARE YOU DISTRACTED ENOUGH?
AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW.