"John D. Giorgis" wrote:
>
> At 10:43 PM 8/1/01 -0700 Doug Pensinger wrote:
> >Free trade can be beneficial to most in the long run but there are plenty of
> >people getting hurt in the meanwhile.
>
> But, isn't it the job of governments to think in terms of the long run?
> Isn't it their job to amortize short-term discomforts and shocks in favor
> of increasing the net good to all citizens?
>
> I mean, I find it shocking that after so much pounding by so many Liberals
> on this List about the *imperative* of thinking in the long-term, I now
> have those self-same Liberals pounding about the importance of considering
> the short-term.
>
> What gives?
>
> Why is it o.k. to oppose Economics on the basis of long-term gain for the
> Environment, and then o.k. to oppose Economics on the basis of short-term
> gain for individuals?
>
John, please don't take my statements out of context. In the message that you
quote I lead with the sentence: "I'm not opposed to free trade but the blanket
statement that free trade benefits _everyone_ is flat out ludicrous." I am
directly countering your statement that "free trade benefits everyone" with
the suggestion that those people who owe the shortening of their lives to free
trade practices would probably disagree with you.
Doug
