Aid to Russia

[Jim heartfield]

In message <v04003a08b215d7918202@[128.32.105.161]>, Brad De Long
<delong at econ.Berkeley.EDU> writes
>We don't get much surplus out of trade with the former East Germany (at
>least not yet).
>We don't get much surplus out of trade with Nigeria (even with their oil).
>We don't get much surplus out of trade with Pakistan.
>We don't get much surplus out of trade with Vietnam.
>
>We get a lot of surplus out of trade with South Korea.
>We get a lot of surplus out of trade with France.
>We get a lot of surplus out of trade with West Germany.
>
>It is in the U.S. national interest and economic interest to have rich,
>industrialized, productive trading partners--not poor, unproductive ones.
>
>
>Brad DeLong

Well, yes and no. It is in the US national interest to have markets for
its goods, but it is not in the US national interest to have
international competitors take its markets. The goal of exchange is not
goods, nor even values, but surplus value, Marx once said.

Greider  illustrates the point:

'In 1979, Ford's average labour input for all of its North American cars
and trucks was just under 40 hours per vehicle. By 1993, it was down to
25.4 hours. Chrysler reduced its average from 45 hours to 29.5 hours. GM
improved from 41 to 32.5 hours. The Japanese average still was lower,
about 20 hours per vehicle..' One World..p 110.

-- 
Jim heartfield