Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: hedgetrimmer

(He just wants to subsidize the "global poor". )

That's not what he's saying. In fact, it's the opposite of what he's saying. He's basically pooh poohing the EU's generosity and forgiveness of third world debt and telling them that it means nothing compared to letting the third world compete on a level playing field. Domestic subsidies act as a trade barrier regardless of how one looks at them.

The bottom line is that the third world is struggling to feed itself and stop depending on welfare from rich countries (through donations, forgiveness of debt, etc). The only comparative advantage they have is their low cost of labor in unskilled or low-skilled industries, agriculture being one of them. The first world is sabotaging their only comparative advantage by throwing billions at domestic farmers.

The bottom line, I'd rather have a welfare recipient become independent rather than continue to send him welfare checks. Let's hope we conservatives allow the third world to become self-reliant, in the face of France's hypocricy.

By the way, for those who worry about the quality of third world agricultural products, I am here to tell you that you haven't lived till you have eaten some non-first world fruits. They are more delicious than the best desert, so much so that it will be tough to get back to eating georgeous-looking American fruits that taste like nothing. As a proud American I was horrified when I realized that.


52 posted on 10/25/2005 11:48:26 AM PDT by winner3000
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies ]


To: winner3000
The first world is sabotaging their only comparative advantage by throwing billions at domestic farmers.

So the first world must not advantage its own producers,but instead must use a global socialist trade body to give the trade advantage to the "poor countries" selected by that socialist body?

Yeah.....thats "free trade" all right.
55 posted on 10/25/2005 11:54:20 AM PDT by hedgetrimmer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 52 | View Replies ]

To: winner3000
Let's hope we conservatives allow the third world to become self-reliant

The best way for the third world to do this is to dump their corrupt goverments, have their own American revolution and change their own culture to support free enterprise. Global socialst trade welfare will not accomplish what you say it will.
58 posted on 10/25/2005 11:56:52 AM PDT by hedgetrimmer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 52 | View Replies ]

To: winner3000
By the way, for those who worry about the quality of third world agricultural products, I am here to tell you that you haven't lived till you have eaten some non-first world fruits. They are more delicious than the best desert, so much so that it will be tough to get back to eating georgeous-looking American fruits that taste like nothing. As a proud American I was horrified when I realized that.

This is precisely because the large agribusiness did not take over and did not "modernize" the agriculture over there. In Poland fruits and other food used to be much better too.

96 posted on 10/25/2005 3:52:47 PM PDT by A. Pole (Ivan Boesky: "What good is the moon, if you can't buy or sell it?")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 52 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson