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What is your view on international trade?
Trade with whomever I want is a free right! 43%  43%  [ 6 ]
Free trade is efficient. 14%  14%  [ 2 ]
We should trade freely with whomever trades freely with us, but not with those who don't 7%  7%  [ 1 ]
We should manage trade policies so that they benefit us. 7%  7%  [ 1 ]
We should make sure that we engage in FAIR trade with the world 7%  7%  [ 1 ]
Making sure our industries and workers are protected is what's most important! 7%  7%  [ 1 ]
Anyone who would help a foreign industry at the expense of a native company is a traitor!! 0%  0%  [ 0 ]
Other 14%  14%  [ 2 ]
Total votes : 14

claire-333
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01 Feb 2009, 2:32 pm

DentArthurDent wrote:
Historically protectionism has had some disastrous outcomes, WW2 for example
I somehow missed this while posting my own comments. I would have to agree the depression played its fair role in WW2. Poverty can cause desperation, but as for an actual cause...I am not certain. I think the real cause of wars are unknown to the general population.



Sand
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01 Feb 2009, 10:43 pm

Free trade permits manufacturers to set up factories where labor costs are low which is a sensible move for businesses whose motivations are to maximize profits. Manufacturers are not responsible for the welfare of the workers. It is the business of governments and other social organizations to see to it that the population is healthy, educated, well housed and well fed. Where other social organizations do not force these basic human needs businesses arrange to take advantage of the cheap labor resulting from these lacks. Where governments are controlled by businesses that desire cheap labor the population suffers and the populations that exist under good governments that force businesses to pay reasonable salaries suffer when businesses flee to cheap labor sources to maximize their profits. It is the bad governments that favor business over social needs that are responsible for the problems of job loss, low labor standards and inferior and dangerous products. Until governments become responsible to their citizens and coordinate their solutions internationally to solve basic social problems the problems will continue.



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01 Feb 2009, 11:04 pm

TallyMan wrote:
I tend to buy things produced here in Western Europe.

I've stopped buying Chinese goods for two reasons:
1. They are often very poor quality and break / fail quickly, especially tools or anything mechanical.
2. No food related products / toothpaste etc because of the risk of contamination.

There aren't many American imports here but they tend to be mostly good quality but overly expensive so sit on the shelf in shops for months not moving. I guess that is down to the high cost of American labour and then shipping on top.

Why are those little pencil sized American aluminium torches so damn expensive? My local diy store has them - all covered in dust - they are 5 times the price of identical ones made here in France.

How many people bother to look on products for the country of origin label?

If I see "made in China" or "PPR" I treat it as a hazard warning label and put the product back on the shelf.


I have to agree with you, Tallyman.

The biggest problem with Free Trade is that most of the world is not on the same playing field regarding safety or human rights. So while some might advocate Free Trade as "efficient," there's too much evidence it really doesn't work so well. It's too easy to ignore injustice if one is not face with it directly, so people may not make the most informed consumer decisions.

I also watch what I buy to the best of my ability, and buy local or from countries I trust (Canada, for ex.).

How to deal with this on a national level? I dunno.