Does Globalization, an Extensive Division of Labor, Wal-Mart, and Mechanization Help Only the Rich?

There is more to the story than this. Globalization has also played a big role in driving a few hundred thousands Indian farmers to commit suicide in the past decade. It has brougth death and destruction to so many people around the world that it staggers the imagination. It may soon be driving American farmers to suicide if the senate approves their version of H.R. 2749, already passed by the House. This horrifying piece of legislation will destroy small farming in the US under the guise of protecting public health and all for the profit of agribusiness. Farmers who violate even one rule, dictated by the FDA under the terms of this law, will face up to 10 years in prison and up to $100,000 in fines. They will no longer be able to choose which seed they use, which chemicals or hormones they use or refuse to use. Agribusiness will dictate all through the FDA. Who profits? Who commits the crime? Our leaders and agribusiness? Who loses? Everyone else, but, in this case, the losers will be American farmers. Globalization is not about free enterprise. It is about something else - global fascism, namely. Because we don't care about Indian farmers and all the other victims of the (very greedy and bloodthristy) Western elite they will soon be doing it to us. We like to learn the hard way, evidently. A little compassion could have spared many...

Erase the question mark after "Our leaders and agribusiness?" That was meant to be a statement. People should get their heads out of the mainstream news and read something real - like news about the laws they have been passing over the past decade or so. There is nothing "free" or "free market" in the globalization agenda. It is surprising to me that anyone would believe it. Certainly, I know that many progressives and libertarians know better. It is liberals and conservatives who are stuck in the dialogue of the past.

So if I buy goods from Wal-Mart I am contributing to global fascism? Whose globalization agenda are you referring to? Aside from tariffs imposed by governments on both sides, how is it not a free market? How are the Indian farmers victimized? What are your proposed solutions to these issues?

Suggest review the history of the European Coal and Steel Community.

Please, educate us. Can you give at least one specific example?

When my first child was born I was a first year FA with Morgan Stanley. The absurdity of someone so low paid giving sound financial advice to people worth millions still seems amusing to me but I'll save that for another post.

Living in an apartment, one old car, and pinching pennies as never before I was very thankful for WalMart. The difference in the cost of diapers alone between Walmart and anywhere else saved us a considerable amount of trouble.

Of course there were other huge savings, but the diapers stood out in my mind as the largest difference.

We have started shopping more at Safeway recently as their prices are more competitive than before. And I do confess that I hate going to Walmart. It's a real zoo. Though they have opened a Walmart not far from here in an upscale neighborhood that looks and feels just like Albertsons, just much larger of course.

So all in all it seems that Walmart is making efforts at being a more physically comfortable shopping experience while some of the regular grocers are managing to get their prices down.

"Or you could go down to Wal-Mart, grab something a little snazzier for well under a hundred bucks, and reflect on the benefits of global trade." SL


Could you?

http://andstillipersist.com/wp-content/uploads/...


There's some 1.2 billion people living in this sort of squalor around the world. They'd have been better off living the indigenous lives of their forefathers. There didn't even used to be 1.2 billion people in the world until about the time of Darwin's publication of The Origin of Species.

So if we look at just these 1.2 billion and compare them to the 1.2 billion that lived in Darwin's age I'd say we've gone backwards quite a bit.

But if you are capable of not noticing or ignoring 1.2 billion people ... yeah you could make the argument that Mr. Landsburg makes.

My God muirduck, again I say, your stupidity is monumental, grandiose on a scale unequaled and unparalleled.

Since Lucy brought home fruit from her gatherings of the day so she would have profit for tomorrow, just show me one person stupid enough to want to go backwards, except for a stupid socialist, a luddite?

The whole of human history is a documented struggle to go upward and forward, not backward; but only a broken brain socialist like yourself could look at the picture you linked and not realize that the reason those people are there is because it is worse where they came from.

The exact same reason why so many young Americans left the farm in the industrial revolution to exchange 7 day a week dawn to dusk back breaking labor for 6 day a week of 10 hours of back breaking labor for many multiples of rewards over what they left behind on the farm. Yeah it was still hard, but infinitely better than what they left behind.

But you are too stupid to even imagine such a thing much less acknowledge it as reality.

Is there a smell coming out of your computer? Does the smell conjure images of burning brakes dipped in rancid hog intestines?

The smell is pouring out of Yasafi's ears as his brain burns up from cranial overload, and I swear the stench so powerful that it can travel through the internet.

(Inspired by a post from Og)

And your heroes such as William Greider would have us stop trading with the people of India and China lest we exploit them when all evidence shows that restricting trade makes people worse off. If you want to improve the lives of those 1.2 billion, buy several suits from Wal-Mart.

Trading? What "trading" occurs between the U.S. and India? What "trading" occurs between the U.S. and CHINA?

Taken a good look at the China tariff schedule, lately? Read a good dictionary, lately? Seen the migrations of tens of thousands of formerly well-employed factory workers in Michigan and Ohio lately? Seen those states' shattered economies lately?

Read a good book on the French Revolution, lately?

I trade my US dollars for goods from China almost every day. Just this week I spoke to someone in India employed by a company with whom I trade my dollars. This certainly meets the definition of trade in every dictionary I have seen. It is unfortunate if the governments of China and India impose higher taxes on their citizens in the form of tariffs but that would certainly never prevent me from trading for their goods and services when it gives me the best value for my money.

I live in Detroit and see first hand the debilitating effects of government over-regulation and excessive taxation on businesses in the area but I can only imagine the oppressive effects of the heavy hand of government with which the entrepreneurs in China and India must contend. By all accounts the governmental burden is even worse than here.

Read Don Boudreaux's Globalization lately?

Thank you, we've established that you don't know what "trade" means, but that you're intellectually dishonest enough to invent a whole new meaning in this context and try to pass it off ("I, uh, trade my DOLLARS...")

Give me a break. Here is a definition of trade: "the commercial exchange (buying and selling on domestic or international markets) of goods and services"

If that does not suit your semantic sensibilities then you are the one who is intellectually dishonest. To say that the US does not trade with China and India is dishonest and stupid. So what if they have tariffs on US products. The US government reciprocates to the detriment of all consumers here.

One of my businesses in the Detroit area uses trucks to perform our services. If we were to be so bold as to wish to purchase a truck manufactured outside of the US we are hit with a 25% tariff. That has the effect of driving up the cost of US manufactured trucks as well. All so that a few individuals employed in the manufacture of trucks in the US can receive above market wages and the companies they work for can be shielded from global competition.

If you do not like buying products made in China and India then I suggest you stop doing so. No reason you can give would justify your imposition of your preference on me.

In case you haven't completely lost your faculties ( who am I kidding? ), read this earlier post. I have lived there quite a few years.

http://cafehayek.com/2009/10/socialism-kills.html

Yes, that looks like India. A grand experiment in social democracy that failed, you dumbass. At least it is moving in the right direction, policy wise.

You don't know what the frak you're talking about. How the frak do you know how the 1.2 billion people of Darwin's time lived compared to now? Ignorant buffoon.

Cause I watched Pride and Prejudice and it was clear they were doing very well.

If you listen only to socialists all day the answer is a resounding yes. I feel like I lose brain cells every time I turn on Air America or watch a clip of MSNBC or read a HuffPo article.

Sure you lose libertarian brain cells when you do that ... ut that's a good thing because then your progressive brain cells will come to dominate... keep watching. Glad to hear you at least listen to both sides.

The fact that you think those sources of "analysis" are worth paying attention to indicates your brain rot muirrat.

What is YOUR "reliable" news source?