NationStates Jolt Archive

Please help to provide support and comments on the Cubicle Mountains modest proposal:
The UN resolves that since stimulative beverages are also stimulative to the economy, it is herein resolved that the coffee quality should be promoted and encouraged.

Whereas products that in any way reduce the amount of the caffeine in coffee, either through chemical processes or additives such as chicory are therefore harmful to society at large, member nations my ban them with impunity.

Whereas coffee beans are the basis of this beverage, all member nations should have free trade in coffee beans.

Whereas the quality of coffee depends on the quality of the produce, coffee producing member nations shall impose labeling procedures for export clearly marking the variety of bean, date of harvest, and location of harvest. Furthermore these nations shall implement standards and recording procedures for these products.

Whereas these measures create increased expense for these wonderful coffee producing nations, it is resolved that their foreign debts to other UN members be forgiven up to 1/4% of the creditor nations GDP.

Interesting..
why not label the good coffee "premium" and charge more?

What I had envisioned with this proposal was not strictly speaking a grading system so much as a classification system. It's like wine or beer. People prefer Chardonnay to Sauvignon Blanc, some people prefer Ales to Stouts and comparisons can be made between potables from around the world based on grape variety and fermentation process.

In any event this conniseurship can not only raise prices in the long term and promote consumer loyalty, far better than slapping a label of 'Premium' on it, but also promote other niche industries like Coffee Magazines and books about the Coffees of Kibonia (http://www.nationstates.net/cgi-bin/index.cgi/page=display_region/region=kibonia), Nerd Paradise (http://www.nationstates.net/cgi-bin/index.cgi/page=display_region/region=nerd_paradise), or Festivus Island (http://www.nationstates.net/cgi-bin/index.cgi/page=display_region/region=festivus_island).

It's far better in the long term to create methods to recognize and promote quality, than to arbitrarily create it.

Yes, but my Colleague from The Most Serene Republic of Spicolli must admit that allowing for prohibitions based on certain 'styles' of coffee, e.g. 'Chicory' and 'Decaf' flies in the face of your connoisseurship arguement. Some people actually prefer the taste of coffee with Chicory. Moreover, individuals with heart problems might only be able to drink decafinated coffee.

I have to admit that your economic arguments for increased snobbery about coffee are convincing, but decisions about 'style' and 'variety' are outside the scope of government. Coffee companies should take the initiative to incorporate ideas from the wine establishment or micro-brewery phenomenon by themselves, without having government oversight imposed upon them from the UN.

My colleague from the Dominion of Deputy Administrators will note that public buildings, parks and monuments are examples government expressions of style which are never entirely free of the personal tastes of administrators even in the most Democratic of nations. But this topic is a trivial and surface judgement of what is really at stake with this proposal.

Connoisseurship is a side effect. No modern government would want to stop food quality standards no matter how dedicated to the free market they are. In the early days of industrial food production there was little oversight into how food was prepared. Diseases could be spread throughout an abatour. Rats could be incorporated in to the sausages, there could be hairy butter. Certainly some government oversight when it comes to foodstuffs. Why not really concentrate on something good like coffee? How can you let something that lets you stay up past midnight bitching on a web forum slip through the cracks?

Kopi Luwak, a very expensive variety, is made from coffee beans passed through the digestive system of an jungle animal. Don't take my word for it here's a page about it: link (http://www.ravensbrew.com/NewFiles/kopiluwak.html).

Are we to expect that an increase in connoisseurship will also lead to an increase in rodent feces coffees? and Does a product whose most sought after variety already involves feces and rodents really need stronger food quality laws, rather than weaker?

My colleague from The Dominion of Deputy Administrators certainly would want to know if their food was from the bowels of a woodland creature, even if it wasn't considered a delicacy. This is my point. The price can fool you about the charactaristics of the food.

Also I find it almost peevish to point out to my neighbor in the Cubicle Mountains (http://www.nationstates.net/cgi-bin/index.cgi/page=display_region/region=cubicle_mountains) region, but as a non-UN member you wouldn't even be bound by the Coffee Free Trade Resolution.

Catholic Europe wholeheartedly supports any resolution that seeks to improve free trade and counter 3rd world exploitation. Thus, any proposal which does this has our support.

Catholic Europe wholeheartedly supports any resolution that seeks to improve free trade and counter 3rd world exploitation. Thus, any proposal which does this has our support.An oxymoron if I've ever seen one.

to each their own. carlemnaria supports no resolution infringing on freedom of personal taste without good and compelling reason and even then only if the good and compelling reason is one of avoiding serious and virtualy irreversable harm. we support generaly an avoidance of many sorts of barriers to what you call free trade and yet we are wary and cautious of what might be considered short sighted trade. we too have a rare and gormet bean that favors our rich remote mountain soil. it has a deep full bodied flavor.

=^^=
.../\...

Catholic Europe wholeheartedly supports any resolution that seeks to improve free trade and counter 3rd world exploitation. Thus, any proposal which does this has our support.An oxymoron if I've ever seen one.
I think that 'improving free trade' and 'countering 3rd world explotations' are anti-thetical. The 3rd world is in a weaker position because of historical events. By cancelling debts, the resolution seeking to add feul to what I expect would be thriving economies without them.

to each their own. carlemnaria supports no resolution infringing on freedom of personal taste without good and compelling reason and even then only if the good and compelling reason is one of avoiding serious and virtualy irreversable harm. we support generaly an avoidance of many sorts of barriers to what you call free trade and yet we are wary and cautious of what might be considered short sighted trade. we too have a rare and gormet bean that favors our rich remote mountain soil. it has a deep full bodied flavor.

=^^=
.../\...This resolution does not infringe on personal taste, per se. It is entirely a matter of asserting national autonomy. At least insomuch as being able to choose what products may be imported without touching off a trade war is a form of autonomy.

Catholic Europe wholeheartedly supports any resolution that seeks to improve free trade and counter 3rd world exploitation. Thus, any proposal which does this has our support.

I think that this is one of the few areas where CE and I share the same view. Anyway, the way this simulation works, anything that brings in free trade improves everyone's economy, if they're in the UN. Who wants to get a little richer for once?

I urge any UN Delegates to support the Coffee Bean Free Trade Resolution on page four of the proposals.

This Resolution Is terrific. It brings together the promise of Capitalism, good will towards man, public safety and national autonomy perfectly. It is so much like a fine coffee blend.

Mmmmmm... coffee... Kopi.... Kofi... Anan...

Woah... Anan. I think I'm dreaming about alternate dimensions again. Got to stop doing that that... note to self, stop dreaming about alternate dimensions.

*suddenly a strange pink furry animal jumps up and grabs the microphone* Coffee bill no good. Coffee drink for the masses, snobbery increase price, deprive masses of quality acceptable drug. Masses forced to drink garbage coffee and get sick and get die. Coffee bill no good.

*Normal delegate yanks the microphone out of the pink furry animal's hands* You know, for once I agree with you. But don't EVER do that again, or you go back in your cage.

*Pink furry animal slinks down from podium and sits in seat.*

free trade coffee is not the answer
the supply of coffee in the world is so exhausted that prices for coffee are extremely low, forcing coffee farmers to sell their products at a level that does not allow for sustainable development. This in turn forces them to sell their land to larger corporations, thereby driving down the quality. Fair Trade coffee is consistently of a higher quality and with all do respect, doesn't have taste of latin american blood.
for more info go to www.maketradefair.com
and support the Fair Trade Coffee Act

In the proposal, you state that coffee producing nations will be forgiven 1/4% of their foreign debt. Do you mean 25% of their foreign debt - I assume (hope) since 0.25% won't buy much political or economic autonomy.

This proposal reeks of neoliberal propaganda.

Support the FAIR Trade Coffee Proposal (http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=104777) instead.

free trade coffee is not the answer
the supply of coffee in the world is so exhausted that prices for coffee are extremely low, forcing coffee farmers to sell their products at a level that does not allow for sustainable development.


I suppose then some would give up and get into other stuff.. which would lower the supply and push up the price ?


This in turn forces them to sell their land to larger corporations, thereby driving down the quality.


Just because it's produced by a larger corporation doesn't mean it has to be of a lower quality.


Fair Trade coffee is consistently of a higher quality and with all do respect, doesn't have taste of latin american blood.
for more info go to www.maketradefair.com
and support the Fair Trade Coffee Act

That's just sensationalism. Unless there's a good non-plagiarized report on the state of the global coffee industry, it's going to be hard to decide.

Catholic Europe wholeheartedly supports any resolution that seeks to improve free trade and counter 3rd world exploitation. Thus, any proposal which does this has our support.

I think that this is one of the few areas where CE and I share the same view. Anyway, the way this simulation works, anything that brings in free trade improves everyone's economy, if they're in the UN. Who wants to get a little richer for once?

well, it is a very worthy cause! :D :P

In the proposal, you state that coffee producing nations will be forgiven 1/4% of their foreign debt. Do you mean 25% of their foreign debt - I assume (hope) since 0.25% won't buy much political or economic autonomy.
The debt is to be forgiven up to 1/4% of the GDP of the creditor nation. This means that if the more than .25% of the creditor's economy is in bonds of a coffee producing nation, they can retain the remainder of the bonds. Considering how many coffee producing nations there are this could probably only be feasible with this limitation.

Actually when you consider that the United States has a national debt of around 3 or 4 % of GDP, this part of the proposal seems modest enough. Also the EU's Stability Pact held that EU member nations that have national debts that go over something like 3% of GDP for more than 3 years could face sanctions.