So all WTO protestors are rich, white people?

[Alexander's Horse]

I'm always amused by the protests by flat earthers at WTO meetings.

The WTO and its predecessor the GATT (that's General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade for you kiddies) has probably done more to raise global living standards than any other international system over the last 50 years.

The main problem is only insiders understand its value.

[Dracon II]

sub-saharan africa doesn't seem to be in a much better state than it was when the nthn industrialised states threw together GATT... and the "asian miracle" of Japan and S Korea was largely due to intensive state mobilisation and protection post WW2.
... but then, I'm drunk, only did a semester of economics and AH... it's a saturday night, you're australian, so hit the ****ing piss...

[Dracon II]

and AH... the androids song you quote in your sig is ****house... that lead singer should've stayed in the superjesus... NOW HIT THE PISS!!! PORT JUST BEAT ESSENDON>>> YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Az]

[realpolitic]

Originally posted by MichaeltheGreat
And African (and third world in general) kleptothugocracy contributes at least as much to that problem as the IMF *******s. (I'm no particular fan of IMF)

I'm glad you acknowledge the IMFs role in f******* things up. If more people were honest that America has done its share of dastardly deeds, we might be able to actually create a better world. As for which is worse, they both need to go, so quantifying the problem is not critical.

[:) Smiley]

Originally posted by Alexander's Horse
I'm always amused by the protests by flat earthers at WTO meetings.

The WTO and its predecessor the GATT (that's General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade for you kiddies) has probably done more to raise global living standards than any other international system over the last 50 years.

The main problem is only insiders understand its value.

I've heard this before but never a convincing argument as to why.

Remember, China and Taiwan both only joined the WTO a couple of years ago, yet both had phenomenal growth in living standards for decades before.

I can see WTO/GATT raising living standards in consumer economies, where stuff becomes cheaper, but I don't see how it benefits those who produce the goods. Yes, if you have a product to sell you can sell it cheaper... but good luck developing an industrial base while you're barraged by cheap imports. Thus only low cost labor intensive industries develop.

[Solly]

"Thus only low cost labor intensive industries develop."

When people say stuff like this it makes you not bother replying with a decent post..

[Ted Striker]

This isn't a "EU and USA bullying all the little guys out of business."

This is a "large corporations put small farmers out of business." This happens all over the world, and even in the US and the EU.

You guys don't remember that whole, "Farm Aid," thing during the 80s?

[JohnT]

I do. Despite the dire warnings about the Impending Fall of the Republic, we made it through the 80s small farm crisis OK.

[Solly]

Make me some tea, not war!

[:) Smiley]

That's because by the 80s small farmers made up a very small percent of the US population. That is not the case in parts of the world right now.

[Ted Striker]

Based on 1997 census results, Alabama had the highest percentage of family farms, at 91%, followed by the United States (86%) and the Southeast (79%). The Southeast, meanwhile, had the highest percentage of farms as corporations (11%), followed by the United States (4%), and Alabama (1%).

According to this Auburn study, family farmers still make up the bulk of US farmers:

http://www.ag.auburn.edu/aaes/communications/highlights/fall00/structural.html

[Ted Striker]

More from the study:

1) in the aggregate, the number of farms in the United States will probably continue to decline,

2) as the number of farms declines, more farm operators will seek employment outside farming

3) the family farm will continue to be the major production unit in U.S. agriculture.

okay so maybe it's premature to consider this as a big corporations vs. little guy thing.

However, it seems farmers all over the world continue to lose jobs.

[:) Smiley]

They may still make up the bulk of US farmers.... but farmers make up very little of the US population.

I would rather see numbers on the absolute number of family farms pre and post 1980s

[realpolitic]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
stabbing yourself in the heart over agricultural policies is completely ****ing insane. What kind of culture pumps out morons like this?

It is insane in the developed world, but in the Third World, agroculture is the only way some people can survive. To sacrifice your life so others will live is heroic, whether it's the NYFD or someone protesting deadly policies.