View Story | 148 comments
Comments: Expand Shrink Hide (Always) | Indented Flat (Always)
Nothing is more sacred to "free traders" than property and contract, but both property and (government enforced) contract restrain free trade. Real "free trade" means anybody can sell anything anytime to anybody for anything they can get. I like "your" toaster; I think I'll sell it to Jake.
So-called "free trade agreements" invariably contain clauses that protect intellectual property and investment. Why shouldn't Chinese mom and pop companies be able to copy Microsoft software and sell it for less? Isn't that free trade?
So-called "free trade agreements" also outlaw certain kinds of government subsidies -- like tax preferences for exports, but encourage other kinds of subsidies -- like allowing polluters to externalize the costs of their pollution or to have governments look the other way as companies (or the governments themselves) organize death squads to kill labor organizers.
"Free trade" as practiced today means strict requirements that governments enforce the intellectual property rights of Microsoft but no requirement that governments prosecute death squads that kill workers' leaders.
"Free trade" as practiced is a great example of how you can frame an issue to make it look noble for one set (or, to use and unfashionable term, class) of people to exploit another set of people.
I think these guys learned that before George Lakoff was even born.
This aggression will not stand, man.
by kaleidescope on Sun Dec 26, 2004 at 11:23:33 AM PDT
[ Parent ]
Paints a nice simple picture for people to, uh, chew on.
Are we safer yet?
by catastrophile on Sun Dec 26, 2004 at 01:25:24 PM PDT
wide narrow
View Story | 148 comments