The China Deal: If You Can't Sell It, Buy It

Max Sawicky sawicky at epinet.org
Tue May 23 11:26:22 PDT 2000


. . . Not all trade is job-destroying or wage-cutting.
>Doug

But Heckscher, Ohlin, Stolper, and Samuelson say that there is a very strong presumption that increased trade is bad for the *scarce* domestic factor of production--which in the case of the U.S. today is labor.

You have to believe very strongly in new growth theory magic--increasing returns of one sort or another somewhere (which, by the way, I do)--to reach the conclusion that increased trade is Pareto-preferable (unless, of course, reduced trade barriers are coupled with increasing social welfare and worker training and education expenditures; which is why Clinton's legitimacy to lead the Democratic Party has been in doubt since he cut off the left hand of his administration; but I degress...) Brad DeLong
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

[mbs] yeah. what he said.

I have to add that I can see why a pareto-improvement might contain the smidgeon of consolation for BDL, but how could the radical D. dine on such treacle?

mbs



More information about the lbo-talk mailing list