(10-03-2012, 11:39 PM)ShadowHM Wrote: In short, I would rather help make sure that the people I know are employed. And I think we all should.
Are people you know not employed in export businesses? I don't think it's ever been shown that countries with lower trade % of GDP have higher employment. Certainly the Albertan unemployment rate would go through the roof if we couldn't export oil and gas.
When you import goods, you export local currency, which, by one way or another, has to find its way back to the national economy. I just don't think that trade share has a whole lot to do with employment. Everytime you don't buy something Made in China, that's someone in China (or elsewhere) not buying something Made in Canada.
-Jester