RE: [Futurework] FW: -Free Trade Accord at 10: Growing Pains Are Clear (NYTimes)

[Michael Gurstein]

Title: Message

But surely, Harry, societies/economies/polities have other goals than economic efficiency.   Nothing wrong with economic efficiency, but what about things like domestic harmony, equity, public well-being, "peace, order and good government", even "homeland security"... all are values which under some circumstances will be in conflict with economic efficiency.   The assessment of political systems presumably is based on which values we wish to see realized and in what priority.   The "hidden hand" always seems to be pointing in one direction, no reason why for reasons other than economic efficiency we couldn't choose others... for example, full employment, proper medicare for everyone, decent public education etc.etc.   MG     -----Original Message----- From: Harry Pollard [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, January 05, 2004 9:49 PM To: 'Keith Hudson'; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: RE: [Futurework] FW: <toc>-Free Trade Accord at 10: Growing Pains Are Clear (NYTimes) Keith,   Well said!   The problem for Bush is that the recession probably was no more than a shake-up in the economy in which the less productive were thrown out.   We are now producing as much as we did before but with fewer people. That’s why we have the unemployment problem.   Of course when we get rid of the free market and choose a controlled economy, those pockets of inefficiency tend to build and solidify. So, when the shake-up happens hundreds and perhaps thousands suffer.   In a free market situation, a firm doesn’t easily gather fat. A few people here and a few people there are released, but the firm has a chance to change things for the better.   That doesn’t happen in the severe fluctuations of a controlled economy.   Harry   ******************************************** Henry George School of Social Science of Los Angeles Box 655  Tujunga  CA  91042 Tel: 818 352-4141  --  Fax: 818 353-2242 http://haledward.home.comcast.net ********************************************   From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Keith Hudson Sent: Sunday, December 28, 2003 7:16 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [Futurework] FW: <toc>-Free Trade Accord at 10: Growing Pains Are Clear (NYTimes)   Yes, this is the problem (extracted from Tim Weiner below) <<<< "However, the gains are so thinly spread across the country that people don't thank Nafta when they buy a mango or inexpensive auto parts," he said. >>>> This is why it's so difficult to persuade those who seek job protection. The gains that the rest of the population receive are almost imperceptible even though, when totalled, they add up to real gains in living standards/prosperity, call it what you will. Objections to free trade nearly always take the form of selective anecdotes about the sufferings (which are real) of particular pockets of people or industries. However, the overall gain and thus the more flexibility in the availability of new jobs are never computed or mentioned. The more that jobs are protected the more motivation there is for somebody somewhere to make themselves even more efficient to overcome the tariff wall. And the higher that the walls of protectionism are built up the bigger the crash will be ultimately be when you can no longer afford to buy your own domestic goods or services because they're too expensive and inefficient. KH     Keith Hudson, Bath, England, <www.evolutionary-economics.org> --- Incoming mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.553 / Virus Database: 345 - Release Date: 12/18/2003 --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.558 / Virus Database: 350 - Release Date: 1/2/2004

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