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Author Topic: The Foolishness of Free Trade
Catus
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 4656

posted 24 November 2003 08:12 AM      Profile for Catus     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
...errr, fair trade I meant to say.

quote:
Jerry and Sarah agreed to implement the professor's program. Mercantilio returned to his university, and the residents of Lost Valley returned to jobs they had neglected for too long. They weeded and tilled the vegetable garden, cleaned their hunting rifles, and took the old sewing machine out of the attic. The children's study time was cut and they resumed many of their old chores. Sarah had much less time to devote to running their company, and Jerry could not spend as much time creating carvings, but Mercantilio had convinced them it would be worth it.

On his summer vacation a year later, Mercantilio came back to Lost Valley. The nation had become more self-sufficient, producing a far greater percentage of its own food and manufactured goods. But there was a serious difficulty: the kids were still buying the better-quality, imported food, clothing, and cosmetics. As a result, much of the domestic production was going to waste.

Mercantilio analyzed the situation for Jerry. "You see," he said, "it's low-wage foreign workers that are your problem. You and Sarah have each been making several hundred thousand dollars a year. How can you expect to compete with farm workers paid a mere $12 an hour? They have an unfair advantage."

"So what should we do?"

"If you can't get foreign governments to sign trade pacts guaranteeing their nation's workers incomes of at least several hundred thousand dollars per year, you'll just have to impose a tariff, raising the price of their products to the level of yours. That will ensure trade that is not only free, but fair as well."

So Jerry and Sarah imposed high tariffs on most foreign goods. Left with little choice, the kids turned to the domestic products they had previously disdained. With fewer imported tools to aid the family members in their work, it took more and more time for them to produce the necessities of life.

A year later, the company selling Jerry's woodcarvings went into bankruptcy and was purchased for a song by Warren Buffett. Soon enough, the money Jerry and Sarah had received from the sale was gone. The road into Lost Valley gradually became impassable. Jerry and Sarah's SUV broke down, and they had no idea how to repair it. Over time, the house began to fall apart, the hot tub stopped working, and the computers became useless. The children abandoned their plans to attend college. Jerry Jr. stopped painting, as he had no time for it. Anyway, the family could no longer afford paint or canvas for him. One day, while cutting wood, Jerry Sr. lopped off a finger from his right hand with an errant axe blow. He could no longer carve wood as he used to, and he lost his interest in the art.


http://www.mises.org/fullstory.asp?control=1378


From: Between 234 and 149 BCE | Registered: Nov 2003  |  IP: Logged
Courage
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 3980

posted 26 November 2003 05:51 AM      Profile for Courage     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
Shadow boxing...
From: Earth | Registered: Apr 2003  |  IP: Logged
WingNut
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 1292

posted 26 November 2003 08:04 AM      Profile for WingNut   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
That's nicer than masturbating.
From: Out There | Registered: Aug 2001  |  IP: Logged
Michelle
Moderator
Babbler # 560

posted 26 November 2003 08:07 AM      Profile for Michelle   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
I don't know. I think I'd rather masturbate than shadow box. But each to their own.
From: I've got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell. | Registered: May 2001  |  IP: Logged
Catus
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 4656

posted 26 November 2003 06:56 PM      Profile for Catus     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
Well, this is typical. The fundamentalists can't debate.
From: Between 234 and 149 BCE | Registered: Nov 2003  |  IP: Logged
'lance
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 1064

posted 26 November 2003 06:59 PM      Profile for 'lance     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
No, they won't be trolled. (Nor are they fundamentalists).

Speaking of which, anyone got any good Cajun seafood recipes to share?


From: that enchanted place on the top of the Forest | Registered: Jul 2001  |  IP: Logged
Courage
rabble-rouser
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posted 26 November 2003 07:06 PM      Profile for Courage     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
quote:
Originally posted by Michelle:
I don't know. I think I'd rather masturbate than shadow box. But each to their own.

One could combine the two, if one liked their fantasies a little rough.


From: Earth | Registered: Apr 2003  |  IP: Logged
'lance
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 1064

posted 26 November 2003 07:09 PM      Profile for 'lance     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
Well, shadow-boxing with only one hand would seem a little beside the point.
From: that enchanted place on the top of the Forest | Registered: Jul 2001  |  IP: Logged
Dr. Mr. Ben
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 3265

posted 26 November 2003 07:52 PM      Profile for Dr. Mr. Ben   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
What, you'd like us to write out own patronising, overly-reductive children's stories and then have them do battle with yours?
quote:
R. Dilweed McFadden, American Capitalist Pickle's Big Day

R. Dilweed Mcfadden, American Capitalist Pickle, woke up in his big bed inside his big house. He rubbed his eyes and said, "Today is going to be a big day!"

He rang his little bell, and immediately Hortensia, his illegal immigrant maid entered with his breakfast -- poached condor eggs and fried panda eyes on toast! This was R. Dilweed McFadden, American Capitalist Pickle's favourite breakfast!

After breakfast, R. Dilweed McFadden, American Capitalist Pickle, got dressed. He put on his shoes. He put on his necktie. He put on his top hat. It was time to go to work!

R. Dilweed McFadden, American Capitalist Pickle came into the office.

"Hold my calls," R. Dilweed McFadden, American Capitalist Pickle told his secretary, whose name he couldn't remember. "I have very important things to do! I am a Pickle of Industry!"

Then R. Dilweed McFadden, American Capitalist Pickle went into his office and took a nap.

After his refreshing nap, R. Dilweed McFadden, American Capitalist Pickle decided it was time to get down to bidness. He called in Gregory Coleslaw, his Chief Financial Cabbage.

"Good morning, R. Dilweed McFadden, American Capitalist Pickle," said Mr. Coleslaw.

"Bow lower before your lord and master," said R. Dilweed McFadden, American Capitalist Pickle.

"Yes, Mr. McFadden. What can I do for you today?"

"How are the ... um ... stocks? ... things?" said R. Dilweed McFadden, American Capitalist Pickle. "How much money has all my hard work made for me today?"

"Well, RDMACP, I'm afraid I have some bad news. The Malaysian ringitt went up twelve points today relative to the American Capitalist Dollar, which means that our profitability has just taken a severe hit. I'm afraid we're looking at a net loss for our import/export revenues from the whole of Southeast Asia in Q3."

"UNACCEPTABLE," said R. Dilweed McFadden, American Capitalist Pickle. He pressed a button on his desk, and two burly gentlemen came to escort Gregory Coleslaw, Chief Financial Cabbage away to his beheading.

Such was the price of failure with R. Dilweed McFadden, American Capitalist Pickle.

But this still meant that R. Dilweed McFadden, American Capitalist Pickle was losing money! So he set to work.

But numbers made his head hurt. So he layed off 10 000 workers, gave himself a raise, and went to lunch.

THE END.



From: Mechaslovakia | Registered: Oct 2002  |  IP: Logged
Michelle
Moderator
Babbler # 560

posted 26 November 2003 08:00 PM      Profile for Michelle   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
quote:
Originally posted by Courage:
One could combine the two, if one liked their fantasies a little rough.

Why, Courage! (blush)


From: I've got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell. | Registered: May 2001  |  IP: Logged
Courage
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 3980

posted 26 November 2003 09:40 PM      Profile for Courage     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
quote:
Originally posted by Michelle:

Why, Courage! (blush)



Gives a whole new onanistic meaning to that ol' Blue eyes ditty:

Used to rabble through the park, shadow boxing in the dark. Then you came and caused a spark, that’s a four-alarm fire now...


From: Earth | Registered: Apr 2003  |  IP: Logged
'lance
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 1064

posted 26 November 2003 10:59 PM      Profile for 'lance     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
quote:
Gives a whole new onanistic meaning to that ol' Blue eyes ditty...

Did you know that Onan did not masturbate?

Well... of course he did, at one time or another. I mean, he was a guy. What I mean is, the Lord struck him down not for masturbating, but for practicing coitus interruptus. The law said he had to marry (and have sex with) his brother's widow. But if they had kids together, they'd inherit Onan's estate (I think it had been his older brother), rather than his own previous kids doing so. So he "spilled his seed on the ground," and the rest you know.

ObEvangelisticRubbish: This passage is sometimes cited by Christians of the more... black-letter sort to mean that intercourse is only for procreation. So birth control is out, gay sex is out... Hmmm. Does it mean sex after menopause is out? Inquiring minds!

[ 26 November 2003: Message edited by: 'lance ]


From: that enchanted place on the top of the Forest | Registered: Jul 2001  |  IP: Logged
Gir Draxon
leftist-rightie and rightist-leftie
Babbler # 3804

posted 27 November 2003 01:57 AM      Profile for Gir Draxon     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
Why is it that so many people beleive that Free Trade and Fair Trade are mutally exclusive?

[ 27 November 2003: Message edited by: Gir Draxon ]


From: Arkham Asylum | Registered: Feb 2003  |  IP: Logged
Catus
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 4656

posted 27 November 2003 03:35 AM      Profile for Catus     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
Gir, they arent. the thing is "fair trade" is hardly fair and is nto at all free, where as Free trade is absolutely fair and absolutely free. Unfortunately most people think "free trade" is just another good way to Americanize your country (without realizing that free trade means that there is little government involvement in trade nor business).

By the way, that story was neither reductive nor elucidating. It did not describe capitalism nor trade. It was a total straw man argument though, so I do think I will use it when teachign logic to my kids.


From: Between 234 and 149 BCE | Registered: Nov 2003  |  IP: Logged
Briguy
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 1885

posted 27 November 2003 10:00 AM      Profile for Briguy     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
quote:
By the way, that story was neither reductive nor elucidating. It did not describe capitalism nor trade. It was a total straw man argument

And on that day, far off in the forest, another *woosh* sound was heard passing over the poor fellow's head.


From: No one is arguing that we should run the space program based on Physics 101. | Registered: Nov 2001  |  IP: Logged
'lance
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 1064

posted 27 November 2003 12:40 PM      Profile for 'lance     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
On the Usenet group I read, that's called the "whooshbird," as in, "I have heard the whooshbird flying."
From: that enchanted place on the top of the Forest | Registered: Jul 2001  |  IP: Logged

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