Ha-Joon Chang’s ‘Bad Samaritans: The Myth of Free Trade and the Secret History of Capitalism’
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3 Responses to “Ha-Joon Chang’s ‘Bad Samaritans: The Myth of Free Trade and the Secret History of Capitalism’”
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This is good history, but it is hard to see how it connects to the present.
Posted on 18-Mar-08 at 1:20 pm | PermalinkTrade is vital to Third World Countries, as it is to all of us, and ‘Fair Trade’ should help ensure Third World workers get a proper wage.
As regard import duties and the like, the change of currency values can quickly make a nonsense out of them.
At the moment, the US dollar and the Pound Sterling are falling in relation to the Euro. This will prove to be to the European Community’s detriment.
Of course, bringing say, artichokes halfway around the world when they can be grown at home is obscene, but global trade in itself is what has opened up the world and gives us good reason to value what we can all do for each other.
Throughout the entire history of global trade, as related in this article, there have been bouts of nationalist protectionism. In the end, a Nation has to face up to the Global reality of what is and is not economic for it to produce. What’s more, this reality keeps changing It’s tough, but there it is.
“Free Trade’ as practiced in Globalization by developed countries. You have to be kidding.
Posted on 18-Mar-08 at 1:01 pm | Permalink‘Fair Trade’ as practised by companies in developed countries, who can put a ‘Fair Trade’ label on their goods, and who’s ‘Fair Trade’ status is stripped if it is found that the workers in the Third World Country are not being paid a ‘fair’ wage as laid down by the ‘Fair Trade’ organisation. This ‘Fair Trade’ status is constantly checked and to my certain knowledge, participating companies are regularly named and shamed, even if they themselves were being assured that the payments were in fact being made.
Posted on 19-Mar-08 at 2:28 am | Permalink