dcxplant
Member
I wrote Flake and MCain.
It's easy just google your senators name and click on the contact button.
It's easy just google your senators name and click on the contact button.
Good idea here, it's a fine idea to make sure your Senators hear from you on this. I signed it and it automatically generated letters to my Senators and House Rep from me, in my name.
There ain't no way 67 United States Senators are going to vote to ratify this treaty. I don't know exactly what the time limit for treaty consideration is. I don't know how soon it can be brought before the Senate, nor do I know if it can be brought up again if it is defeated. I should know. Upon further thought, I believe it would have to be renegotiated by the Pres and St. Dept, and a totally new treaty brought before the Senate if it is voted down. Remember, it takes 67 Senators to ratify. Thank God for the foresight of the Framers.
There are still people on gun web sites trying to say the treaty is innocuous. I did research earlier this year, and posted some of my findings on a couple of the McBear threads. One thing that sticks in my mind is the language that requires signatory nations to implement a method of "tracking" small arms movement within its own borders. This is nothing less than a requirement for not just universal background checks, but universal registration of all firearms.
I foresee a gun shortage as well. We're lucky, gun making is one of the few industries left where most of our product is made in the USA, but we still import a lot of guns for the civilian market. As those other countries ratify this treaty they will be bound by it. With a clause like disallowing any export that could be "used to attack a school or hospital" will Germany or Belgium or Italy take steps to curb exports to the US market? Clearly the Treaty will give them the justification, and Obama can use it as leverage with them to constrain exports to the US without ever passing a single new reg or issuing a single executive order.
Will Obama try to block a move by the Mexican President in the UN to cut off exports to the US b/c we don't regulate our market enough? The treaty requires they not export to markets where guns will fall into illegal hands. He'll make the case that the US market qualifies and if the US doesn't fight against it the UN could rule that the US market is off limits for exports.
Once a treaty is signed, it lasts forever, unless it is unsigned by a future administration. I will stand by the old adage, "never say never". As unlikely as it may seem today, there is no telling what will happen a year from now, 5 years from now or 10 years from now. It is just another foundation brick being laid by the antis that can sit there forever until a future senate decides to act.There ain't no way 67 United States Senators are going to vote to ratify this treaty. I don't know exactly what the time limit for treaty consideration is.
I don't see a problem with other nations refusing to export guns to the USA. We are far too dependent on imports as it is. This might cause a small shortage in the short run, but in the long run it would be a great stimulus to the American gun industries. With in 5 or 6 years there would be an ample supply of guns and all of them American made.
Tariffs don't work, that is a simple economics principle. Look at the failure of the US auto industry to take advantage of the huge tariffs they are the recipients of, combine that with the fact other countries simply retaliate and it becomes apparent tariffs are not the way to go.
I could go into a long explanation of why they don't and won't work, instead, I'll simply say any Econ student can tell you why. If you Goggle it, there's plenty of explanation why.
Tariffs do work and it may be taught as a simple economics principle, but they do work. They also teach Keynesian economics in most of our Universities and that is worthless as well.
The auto industry is not protected by tariffs to any extent that I am aware of. If they were foreign cars would cost a lot more and US auto companies would not be producing cars in Canada and Mexico to sell in the USA. The tariffs should include Chevy, Ford, and Dodge cars and parts made in Mexico and Canada.
Since we import far more than we export, it would not be much of a problem if other nations retaliated. Other nations only buy the products from us that they have to any way, so foreign tariffs would do our tiny exports very little damage. We certainly no longer sell many autos abroad, or many TV, or even many computers.
If we do not do something to reverse the staggering imbalance in trade we will sooner or later see our entire economy collapse. Continuing along the globalization and “free trade” path is like standing on a railroad track while a train is bearing down on you and deciding to take a nap. No matter who teaches you that the train cannot hurt you, it can and will if you keep standing there.
Free trade is the most expensive and costly and insane idea that the USA has ever embraced.