On Wed, 5 Jun 2002, Joe Farr wrote:

>It's funny how this subject stirs strong reactions in people.
>
>Lyle, well said !
>
>Of course the question is 'why' are some of these countries in this mess
>in the first place and how do they get out of it - and I say 'they' get
>out and not us help them out. People are basically stupid (no disrespect
>to anybody reading this) and only learn from their own mistakes. They
>need to implement a solution themselves if their to solve their problems.

Well some people in your country were of sufficiently different opinion
wrt. this point to start two wars in the last 50 years or so (well not
start, let's say enthusiastically participate in). This is not a criticism
of that fact, I understand it too well.

>Personally, I believe that these countries, and perhaps the rest of the
>world are missing the point in the word 'trade'. Trade - I give you
>something you want, and you give me something I want. It's worth is in
>how bad you want what I have, and how bad I want what you've got. It
>would be interesting to see a system where you can't export goods unless
>you import goods of exactly the same value.

Most large industrialised countries are deadlocked in something like that
exactly now, and are all being collectively ripped off by those
manufacturing countries that can underbid them seriously while being
insensitive to sanctions. See under automobiles and steel for example.

Competing with an economy that can afford to take 90 degree turns with
disregard to profits (and to hell with the workers - they better follow
the party line or else) under some illustruous leadership and rewrite laws
from scratch as it goes to keep it 'legal' is like fighting windmills.
Letting something like that loose in a well-regulated and benevolent
economical backyard is like putting the fox in the chicken pen and turning
the light off.

Peter

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