“President Trump’s approach to trade qualifies as a master class in political negotiation. When he imposed steel and aluminum tariffs on several Group of Seven (G7) countries, Canada vowed to retaliate and the European Commission issued a press release opposing the tariffs as ‘protectionism, pure and simple,'” Fred Campbell writes for Forbes. “A matter of days after getting Europe and Canada to go on record as opposing tariffs as simple protectionism, Trump called their rhetorical bluff at the annual G7 Summit, where he proposed the elimination of all tariffs and subsidies.”
“When faced with the professed object of their desire, the other members of the G7 balked. Trump’s insistence on fair dealing revealed the truth about the G7’s approach to trade,” Campbell writes. “The other members of the G7 don’t want truly fair and open trade; they want rules that let them hold the U.S. to a free-trade standard while securing unfair advantages for themselves. Trump wisely recognized that the best way to make real progress on free trade is to make sure these countries have some skin in the game.”
“The Democratic Party’s version of net neutrality regulation works the same way as the G7’s ‘rules-based trade’ policy,” Campbell writes. “Democrats’ rules-based approach to net neutrality required internet service providers (ISPs) to give government-regulated access to their platforms while leaving Silicon Valley’s big tech platforms free to block and prioritize content as a means of maintaining their monopolies and pushing Democrats’ political agenda.”
“The inconvenient truth [is] that Democrats would rather protect big tech monopolies than protect consumers,” Campbell writes. “Republicans in Congress should call the Democrats’ bluff. The insight of the Trump doctrine is that negotiation is only possible if both sides have some skin in the game. If the Democrats insist on regulating net neutrality at the FCC, Republicans should insist that the FCC regulations apply to big tech monopolies. That’s how Trump would do it.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: As we wrote last December regarding the call by U.S. Senator John Thune (R-SD) for Congress to pass ‘net neutrality’ legislation:
There is a right way and a wrong way to do things. The former is harder, but lasting; the latter is quicker, but ephemeral.
Real net neutrality legislation is the solution to the FCC/FTC regulatory seesaw.
SEE ALSO:
FCC’s repeal of so-called ‘net neutrality’ rules now official – June 11, 2018
U.S. Senate democrats stage a phony vote on so-called ‘net neutrality’ – May 16, 2018
U.S. FCC reversal of so-called ‘net neutrality’ rules expected to be published Thursday – February 20, 2018
NARUC regulators respond to scrapping of so-called ‘net neutrality’ regulations by U.S. FCC – December 15, 2017
Republican senator calls on U.S. Congress to pass ‘net neutrality’ legislation – December 12, 2017
Millions of people post ‘net neutrality’ comments on FCC docket; many are fake – December 12, 2017
U.S. FCC rejects calls to delay vote to repeal so-called ‘net neutrality’ rules – December 5, 2017
Dear Aunt Sadie, please step back from the so-called ‘net neutrality’ ledge – November 27, 2017
U.S. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai: Killing Obama-era rules for so-called ‘net neutrality’ will set the internet free – November 22, 2017
U.S. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai: How the FCC can save the open internet – November 21, 2017
U.S. FCC plans total repeal of Obama-era rules for so-called ‘net neutrality’ – November 21, 2017
U.S. FCC plans December vote to kill so-called ‘net neutrality’ rules – November 16, 2017
Apple’s call for ‘strong’ net neutrality rules is a hint about the future of its business – September 1, 2017
Apple breaks their silence on ‘net neutrality,’ remains open to alternative sources of legal authority – August 31, 2017
Trump administration gives thumbs up to overturning FCC’s rules for so-called ‘net neutrality’ – July 19, 2017
]Apple’s deafening silence on so-called ‘net neutrality’ – July 14, 2017
FCC kicks off effort to roll back so-called ‘net neutrality’ rules – May 18, 2017
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai explains why he wants to scrap so-called ‘net neutrality’ rules – April 28, 2017
FCC Chief Ajit Pai develops plans to roll back so-called ‘net neutrality’ rules – April 7, 2017
U.S. FCC chairman wields weed whacker, takes first steps against so-called ‘net neutrality’ – February 3, 2017
How so-called ‘net neutrality’ will fare under President Trump – January 26, 2017
New FCC chairman Ajit Pai vows to take a ‘weed whacker’ to so-called ‘net neutrality’ – January 24, 2017
President Trump elevates Ajit Pai to FCC Chairman – January 23, 2017
Outgoing FCC chief Tom Wheeler offers final defense of so-called ‘net neutrality’ – January 13, 2017
Under President Trump, Obama ally Google may face policy setbacks, including roll back of so-called ‘net neutrality’ rules – November 18, 2016
Jeb Bush on FCC and so-called ‘net neutrality’ regulation: ‘One of the craziest ideas I’ve ever heard’ – March 8, 2015
Who loves the FCC’s overreach on so-called ‘net neutrality?’ Telecom lawyers – March 5, 2015
