NationStates Jolt Archive

I believe Fair trade can, and might, solve all the problems of the world.

Who agrees?

(poll coming)

pretty much, in conjunction with other things though.

Yeah. The thing is, if no one party is benefiting at the expense of the other, you undermine the entire way our economy works. (Not that that's a bad thing ;))

The problem is, of course, that first you have to solve most of the problems of the world before fair trade is even realistically possible.



Until then you still have sweatshop output increasing to meet expanded Walmart and Dollorama demand in the west where people with more money than the sweatshop worker could ever dream of having in a lifetime figure out ways to spend as little of it as possible to buy as much cheap crap as possile while simultaneously whining about where all the domestic manufacturing jobs went...

There's a little thing called profit that has to be made somewhere. ;)

<Is hoping that people aren't confusing "free trade" with "fair trade".>

I believe Fair trade can, and might, solve all the problems of the world.

Who agrees?

(poll coming)

No. Not a hope. Unless you can fairtrade the stupidity and pettiness out of most people and get them intelligence and compassion, the we'll still screw it up.

But that isn't why I voted the fool option. That was just for the hell of it.

umm.. i made a mistake, i thought it said free trade, so i change my vote to the no.... sorry there.

<Is hoping that people aren't confusing "free trade" with "fair trade".>

Judging from the responses thus far, they aren't.

edit: d'oh.

<Is hoping that people aren't confusing "free trade" with "fair trade".>
ditto

There's a little thing called profit that has to be made somewhere. ;)

There are all kinds of profit you know. The kind you are probly referring to is only used to gain other kinds.

Free Trade, sure, but just in which type of economics?

But that isn't why I voted the fool option. That was just for the hell of it.

Oh, well, I'll take offense anyway, just for the hell of it:mad:

Free trade worked for Hong Kong.

Oh, well, I'll take offense anyway, just for the hell of it:mad:

Fools offended by HMW today: 3.

Fools offended by HMW today: 3.
:p :D

Fools offended by HMW today: 3.

The flame will never be extinguished! I am offended again, does that affect your count?

The flame will never be extinguished! I am offended again, does that affect your count?
psst... if you wanna get him in trouble he's already had one official warning for flaming already today...

/Trouble-Making

If by fair trade, you mean everyone involved agreed to the deal, then yes.
If by fair trade, you mean something else, then I am very confused, and probably voted in the wrong direction.
If by fair trade, you mean Magical Girl Jesus, then you are most certainly correct.

psst... if you wanna get him in trouble he's already had one official warning for flaming already today...

/Trouble-Making

No, I think she is funny. Let someone who is really offended run to the mods...

If by fair trade, you mean everyone involved agreed to the deal, then yes.
If by fair trade, you mean something else, then I am very confused, and probably voted in the wrong direction.
If by fair trade, you mean Magical Girl Jesus, then you are most certainly correct.

If you don't know what it is, there is an option for it....


see here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_trade)

If you don't know what it is, there is an option for it....


see here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_trade)
Alright then, so its based on government protectionism, no I don't like it.
I'm still going to say it is "saviour", but that is only because then I get to pretend that I am the Anti-Christ who doesn't like British spellings of things.
In seriousness, as much as I am not a fan of slave labor, imposing price minimums is just assinine. If some kid in the third world doesn't think that his time is worth anything more than 2 pence a year, then I really don't see why I should interfere so that he can know otherwise.

And I also know that when in doubt, it is best to steam ahead regardless of what else may happen.

Alright then, so its based on government protectionism, no I don't like it.
Eh? We must have read different articles. The one I read said that it's based primarily on reducing government protectionism in the first world.

Eh? We must have read different articles. The one I read said that it's based primarily on reducing government protectionism in the first world.
From the article, one aspect of Fair Trade is seeking to enforce "a fair price that will at least cover the cost of production and facilitate social development."
Now then, who is going to settle upon what is a "fair price"? Obviously, proponents of Fair Trade don't think that the buyer and seller are coming up with a fair price, which means that some third party is going to step in and set it.
Follow so far? Good, here is the protectionism,
The only third party with the power to enforce fair trade would be a government. The only government capable of enforcing that would be either the first world nation (which will have its system dominated by locals, who will want the "fair" price set so high that going overseas will become inefficient) or the UN (which is dominated by the first world, which is dominated by the local producers).
See people, I can, in fact, be nice and cuddly in my politics. I could have said that if workers are so damn common/incompentent that you can pay them 2 bucks a month and still have all yourr positions filled, then such people don't deserve more than 2 bucks a month. I could have said that they should be grateful for getting money at all.

.....

...See people, I can, in fact, be nice and cuddly in my politics. I could have said that if workers are so damn common/incompentent that you can pay them 2 bucks a month and still have all yourr positions filled, then such people don't deserve more than 2 bucks a month. I could have said that they should be grateful for getting money at all.

Why didn't you?

Why didn't you?
I really have no idea. In fact, I felt a little dirty after making that post.
However, I am trying the "catch more flies with honey" route, but apparently it doesn't work because you are arguing with me anyway.
So, fuck this, the government should never regulate freely made deals, if you are so talentless that the only way you personally can become competitive in the job market is through selling your time at a dime a day, then your death can hardly be considered a loss by the part of the rest of us.
It isn't the job of the company to see to it that every knob over there gets three hots and a flop, it is the worker's job to see to their own needs and, should they feel so inclined, the needs of their brethren.

Happy now?

I believe Fair trade can, and might, solve all the problems of the world.

Who agrees?



Me. Absolutely.

Trade that is fair is a good idea. From what I've heard of "fair trade" proposals, "fair trade" is a lousy idea. I think a lot of people just get suckered into supporting "fair trade" because of its name.

I really have no idea. In fact, I felt a little dirty after making that post.

.....

Happy now?

Yes. Go shower. :)

I believe Fair trade can, and might, solve all the problems of the world.
Yeah, like that problem where every country has its own culture. We have to stamp that out! Go cultural homogenisation!

Yeah, like that problem where every country has its own culture. We have to stamp that out! Go cultural homogenisation!

Do you see different cultures as a problem?

You may be right though, fair trade may actually stamp out the culture of slavery, worker abuse, and exploitation. I do not see that as a bad thing though, weirdo freak that I am.

Multinational corporations such as Nike, McDonalds and Pepsi are much more efficient at cultural homogenization.

Btw, in what way do you think that fair trade stamps out cultural homogenization?

Perhaps you are thinking about 'free trade'? :p

Do you see different cultures as a problem?

You may be right though, fair trade may actually stamp out the culture of slavery, worker abuse, and exploitation. I do not see that as a bad thing though, weirdo freak that I am.

Multinational corporations such as Nike, McDonalds and Pepsi are much more efficient at cultural homogenization.

Btw, in what way do you think that fair trade stamps out cultural homogenization?

Perhaps you are thinking about 'free trade'? :p

I certainly do. Britain is not a multicultural styate, it ought not to be, British culture is intrinsically superior to that of Booga Booga land, which is precisely why we invaded and colonised them. Read "Empire", I forget the author, but he contrives over several hundred pages to prove quite why imperialism is effective, nigh on necessary. Africa was not riven by civil war, nor by political corruption, when Europe ruled it, nor did it require aid and "free trade" to ensure the continuation of its poverty.

"Fair" trade is just controlled-economy-lite. No thanks.

Free trade is where it's at. Freedom! It builds character.

Jein. The idea is a noble one, but creates problems that can outweigh the benefits.

The main problem with fair trade is that it pays prices higher than what the market demands, resulting in gross overrproduction which worsens the situation for the producers who aren't in fair-trade agreements. Thus, fair trade can actually worsen the situation rather than help it.

Instead, the best thing to do is to encourage economic diversification and freedom to ensure that the market works, rather than perpetuating the supply imbalances that make it difficult for farmers to profit on the world market.