And this would mean that I can not afford the Nike or what-ever-make that I wear at the moment. The reason that products get manufactured at 1$/day in countries like mine, is to make it MORE affordable. Regards Chris A ----- Original Message ----- From: "Peter L. Peres" To: Sent: Tuesday, 04 June, 2002 20:36 Subject: Re: [OT]: $1-a-day wages I hate to join this kind of firestarter thread but I've come up with an idea that may be utopic, or may be good. I think that a system of import duties that relate to the real (as evaluated by an expert panel *outside* the country of provenience) per capita income would slowly fix this. This would mean that products made in a country with a low income would pay high import duties, and one with a high income, would pay low ones. This would wipe most of the price gap and labor cost gap and allow competition on a quality basis. As a side effect the 'cheap bargain c**p' would disappear and local manufacturing would re-start in developed countries. A developing country exporting would have to see that its workers get paid reasonably well or else pay through the nose for the extra high import duties. Any country trying to cheat by setting too high import taxes to boost local industry even more would be quickly rewarded by homemade expensive c**p and possibly inflation if maintained for too long, to which electors would respond vigorously. Of course this is a kind of utopia under the present world market situation and mentality. But if I'd be in a position to propose such a thing I'd give it a good look. Peter -- http://www.piclist.com hint: To leave the PICList mailto:piclist-unsubscribe-request@mitvma.mit.edu -- http://www.piclist.com hint: To leave the PICList mailto:piclist-unsubscribe-request@mitvma.mit.edu