Originally Posted by Villages Kahuna

Bucco, it's really hard to debate situations as you describe with GE. Like Mitt Romney, GE has done nothing illegal in running their businesses. Their job is to make money for their shareholders. They practice capitalism as best they know how. They follow the laws as consistently as their lawyers and accountants tell them to. They make fine products and are admired around the world.

But how can anyone debate all those "good" things, the successful practice of capitalism, when someone comes back and criticizes the company because they do too much business outside the U.S., employ too many people in other countries? The difficulty in participating in such a debate is even harder when the person taking the other side will later embrace and endorse the capitalistic, free market system.

Did you ever consider that if GE could produce the goods and services they sell cheaper and with comparable quality here in the U.S., that they would? Did you ever think that GE is putting their manufacturing plants or service providers closer to the customers they serve, a whole lot of which are outside the U.S. these days? Did you realize that 60% of GE's sales comes from outside the U.S.? That they make more profit outside the U.S. than they do here in our country?

So explain to me again why the CEO of GE should be castigated for doing the outstanding free market capitalistic job he is apparently doing? And tell me again why the hated president of the U.S. should be criticized for his friendship with that executive, or even seeking his wise business counsel in his administration?

The problem isn't with GE or the president. The problem is that the U.S. is losing it's competitiveness and the political will and intelligence to make legislative decisions that would enhance the return of our ability to compete in world markets. That last part of it can be laid on the doorstep of President Obama--and several other presidents who preceeded him. The erosion of our ability to compete didn't happen overnight.

You are correct in criticizing Obama for campaigning against Mitt Romney using the "outsourcing" argument. That demonstrates that he too doesn't understand how free market capitalism works. Or if he does, he believes that the electorate really doesn't understand and that such an argument will gain him votes, or cost Romney votes. It's really hard, I think, to campaign using facts to an electorate is too lazy, stupid or unwilling to understand.

But you kinda can't have it both ways. Either you're a free market capitalist or you're not. GE practices free market capitalism...and they do it very well! I'm sure the GE shareholders, myself included, are very happy with him.