The heartless left
How many times have we of the Right been scolded by Lefties that we are heartless and just do not care about the poor? Probably quite a few times.
Anyway, the next time that accusation is levelled, here is a useful piece from the Washington Post, of all things, to quote at the latte Left about the Dems pulling the plug on pan-American freer trade :
"We watch the news and we're nervous about what might happen with what we send to the United States," said Janeth Palacio Ramirez, 35, who supports her 15-year-old daughter and her elderly parents by punching zipper stops onto 7,000 pairs of jeans a day, earning about $200 a month. "Everything we make here goes there, so if there are problems with exports, we'll all lose our jobs."
Or testimony from Peruvian textile factory owner Fernando Garibaldi:
"We have been investing with the view that the free-trade agreement would be approved," Garibaldi said. "What will happen if hundreds of thousands of people lose their jobs?".
Given that today is Thanksgiving for our American friends, I'm particularly pleased to have found Ronald Reagan's radio address for Thanksgiving 1988:
"Part of the difficulty in accepting the good news about trade is in our words. We too often talk about trade while using the vocabulary of war. In war, for one side to win, the other must lose. But commerce is not warfare. Trade is an economic alliance that benefits both countries; there are no losers, only winners. And trade helps strengthen the free world".
And a very happy Thanksgiving to any Americans reading this.
Anyway, the next time that accusation is levelled, here is a useful piece from the Washington Post, of all things, to quote at the latte Left about the Dems pulling the plug on pan-American freer trade :
"We watch the news and we're nervous about what might happen with what we send to the United States," said Janeth Palacio Ramirez, 35, who supports her 15-year-old daughter and her elderly parents by punching zipper stops onto 7,000 pairs of jeans a day, earning about $200 a month. "Everything we make here goes there, so if there are problems with exports, we'll all lose our jobs."
Or testimony from Peruvian textile factory owner Fernando Garibaldi:
"We have been investing with the view that the free-trade agreement would be approved," Garibaldi said. "What will happen if hundreds of thousands of people lose their jobs?".
Given that today is Thanksgiving for our American friends, I'm particularly pleased to have found Ronald Reagan's radio address for Thanksgiving 1988:
"Part of the difficulty in accepting the good news about trade is in our words. We too often talk about trade while using the vocabulary of war. In war, for one side to win, the other must lose. But commerce is not warfare. Trade is an economic alliance that benefits both countries; there are no losers, only winners. And trade helps strengthen the free world".
And a very happy Thanksgiving to any Americans reading this.
This entry was posted
on Thursday, November 23, 2006 at 8:42 am.
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Excellent post C good point,. I `m not sure that all free trade is beneficial though . I suppose the problem with any market is that the prices in it can move far more quickly than the supply of it . There is a place for considering protecting fledgling economies and especially agriculture.
Also a large market can enforce unfair trading conditions in an assymmetrical relationship.
This is the threat ( ie from the US and iother large trading blocks , the EU was supposed to counter.
Also with the UK housing market being what it is immiediate response to the market isn`t possible and hardship has to be ameliorated .
Hmmmmm not sure. Perhaps someone who knows a nit more about it will comment.
( Oh glad to see you are still alive and not chopped up)
The idea that all money-making (euphemism : commerce) is beneficial is Utopian. Prof. John Gray argues very interestingly that Utopianism is dangerous, because what happens is that the Utopians use violence to force the ideal state on human beings, who are decidedly non-Utopian.
Now I must go off & ruminate on the Dutch and Manx elections.
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