Comments on: EU to Africa: don’t develop, we’ll give you hand-outs instead http://www.liberal-vision.org/2010/01/19/eu-to-africa-dont-develop-well-give-you-hand-outs-instead/ Looking Forward to Freedom Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:17:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Tom Papworth http://www.liberal-vision.org/2010/01/19/eu-to-africa-dont-develop-well-give-you-hand-outs-instead/comment-page-1/#comment-10059 Tom Papworth Fri, 06 Aug 2010 09:31:53 +0000 http://www.liberal-vision.org/?p=4650#comment-10059 Okay. Either I've been posting in my sleep or I have a namesake, because neither of the Tom Papworth's above is me! Okay. Either I’ve been posting in my sleep or I have a namesake, because neither of the Tom Papworth’s above is me!

]]> By: isomac http://www.liberal-vision.org/2010/01/19/eu-to-africa-dont-develop-well-give-you-hand-outs-instead/comment-page-1/#comment-10045 isomac Fri, 06 Aug 2010 03:37:12 +0000 http://www.liberal-vision.org/?p=4650#comment-10045 The text looks garbled, maybe its my browser... The text looks garbled, maybe its my browser…

]]> By: Tom Papworth http://www.liberal-vision.org/2010/01/19/eu-to-africa-dont-develop-well-give-you-hand-outs-instead/comment-page-1/#comment-3571 Tom Papworth Thu, 21 Jan 2010 13:29:11 +0000 http://www.liberal-vision.org/?p=4650#comment-3571 Indeed. The simple (?) way of putting it is that the CAP acts as a tax on consumers for the benfit of farmers, and employs a lot of bureaucrats while keeping a lot of people in the Third World poor. We should all feel very proud! Indeed. The simple (?) way of putting it is that the CAP acts as a tax on consumers for the benfit of farmers, and employs a lot of bureaucrats while keeping a lot of people in the Third World poor.

We should all feel very proud!

]]> By: Pat http://www.liberal-vision.org/2010/01/19/eu-to-africa-dont-develop-well-give-you-hand-outs-instead/comment-page-1/#comment-3558 Pat Wed, 20 Jan 2010 18:35:42 +0000 http://www.liberal-vision.org/?p=4650#comment-3558 It also has the effect that we pay more for our coffee (etc). So the EU is cutting off our noses to spite their faces- and taking a substantial wedge for doing so. It also has the effect that we pay more for our coffee (etc). So the EU is cutting off our noses to spite their faces- and taking a substantial wedge for doing so.

]]> By: Tom Papworth http://www.liberal-vision.org/2010/01/19/eu-to-africa-dont-develop-well-give-you-hand-outs-instead/comment-page-1/#comment-3555 Tom Papworth Wed, 20 Jan 2010 14:17:23 +0000 http://www.liberal-vision.org/?p=4650#comment-3555 Regulations are one way of surruptitiously undermining trade. Another is place-patenting (no rival Parma Ham or Sherry). Then there are subsidies, of course. Philip's general point is the most germane, however: "if we can’t agree that free trade will be good for others as well as ourselves, then what’s the point?" Or, to put it another way, if we accept that both Germany and Greece benefit from trading freely with one another, why do we struggle with the fact that free trade between Greece and Ghana would also benefit both. (Ironically, Ricardo's original example for proving Comparative Advantage was between two EU countries) Regulations are one way of surruptitiously undermining trade. Another is place-patenting (no rival Parma Ham or Sherry).

Then there are subsidies, of course.

Philip’s general point is the most germane, however: “if we can’t agree that free trade will be good for others as well as ourselves, then what’s the point?” Or, to put it another way, if we accept that both Germany and Greece benefit from trading freely with one another, why do we struggle with the fact that free trade between Greece and Ghana would also benefit both.

(Ironically, Ricardo’s original example for proving Comparative Advantage was between two EU countries)

]]> By: Philip Walker http://www.liberal-vision.org/2010/01/19/eu-to-africa-dont-develop-well-give-you-hand-outs-instead/comment-page-1/#comment-3552 Philip Walker Wed, 20 Jan 2010 11:41:16 +0000 http://www.liberal-vision.org/?p=4650#comment-3552 You mean food standards, stuff like that? That's the West's subtle protectionism, for sure. Barriers within the developing world are tragic, but there's not a lot we can really do about that. The best thing is to act as a beacon of free trade and hope other countries see the benefits and follow our example. You mean food standards, stuff like that? That’s the West’s subtle protectionism, for sure.

Barriers within the developing world are tragic, but there’s not a lot we can really do about that. The best thing is to act as a beacon of free trade and hope other countries see the benefits and follow our example.

]]> By: Julian H http://www.liberal-vision.org/2010/01/19/eu-to-africa-dont-develop-well-give-you-hand-outs-instead/comment-page-1/#comment-3549 Julian H Wed, 20 Jan 2010 10:57:46 +0000 http://www.liberal-vision.org/?p=4650#comment-3549 I concur, but arguably non-tariff barriers are more sinister, particularly between poor countries. I concur, but arguably non-tariff barriers are more sinister, particularly between poor countries.

]]> By: Philip Walker http://www.liberal-vision.org/2010/01/19/eu-to-africa-dont-develop-well-give-you-hand-outs-instead/comment-page-1/#comment-3547 Philip Walker Wed, 20 Jan 2010 10:21:48 +0000 http://www.liberal-vision.org/?p=4650#comment-3547 Oh, tariff escalation is enough to keep me going for years. Industry is how countries get richer, so what does the EU do? Makes it difficult for poor countries to industrialise by slapping progressive tariffs on processed goods and making it better for them to export raw materials than finished goods. It's mercantilist, it's colonial economics 17th-century style and it's killing people. Sorry, I always get like this on development economics. My sense of moral indignation becomes very hard to stop. Oh, tariff escalation is enough to keep me going for years. Industry is how countries get richer, so what does the EU do? Makes it difficult for poor countries to industrialise by slapping progressive tariffs on processed goods and making it better for them to export raw materials than finished goods. It’s mercantilist, it’s colonial economics 17th-century style and it’s killing people.

Sorry, I always get like this on development economics. My sense of moral indignation becomes very hard to stop.

]]> By: Julian H http://www.liberal-vision.org/2010/01/19/eu-to-africa-dont-develop-well-give-you-hand-outs-instead/comment-page-1/#comment-3533 Julian H Tue, 19 Jan 2010 18:09:46 +0000 http://www.liberal-vision.org/?p=4650#comment-3533 Philip, if you'd like a bit of extra red mist to make your evening more fun, I recommend: http://www.fightingdiseases.org/pdf/NastyBite.pdf Philip, if you’d like a bit of extra red mist to make your evening more fun, I recommend:

http://www.fightingdiseases.org/pdf/NastyBite.pdf

]]> By: Philip Walker http://www.liberal-vision.org/2010/01/19/eu-to-africa-dont-develop-well-give-you-hand-outs-instead/comment-page-1/#comment-3529 Philip Walker Tue, 19 Jan 2010 16:12:10 +0000 http://www.liberal-vision.org/?p=4650#comment-3529 It's stuff like this which really makes me see red. We need a government which is willing to fight Brussels on trade barriers and subsidies; and to be honest, it's an issue on which I'd be willing to the take the ball home. The whole point of the EU was to be a free trade and free movement area: if we can't agree that free trade will be good for others as well as ourselves, then what's the point? It’s stuff like this which really makes me see red. We need a government which is willing to fight Brussels on trade barriers and subsidies; and to be honest, it’s an issue on which I’d be willing to the take the ball home. The whole point of the EU was to be a free trade and free movement area: if we can’t agree that free trade will be good for others as well as ourselves, then what’s the point?

]]>