On Tue, 5 Aug 2003 20:54:51 -0700 "Eubulides"
<paraconsistent at comcast.net> writes:
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Kevin Robert Dean" <qualiall at union.org.za>
> To: <lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, August 05, 2003 8:47 PM
> Subject: Re: [lbo-talk] Free trade costs thousands of jobs... none
> other
> than conservative Phyllis Schlafly...
>
>
> > On Tue, 5 Aug 2003 20:13:44 -0700
> > "Eubulides" <paraconsistent at comcast.net> wrote:
> >
> > >
> > > The only thing wrong with this piece is that free trade
> > > does not exist on
> > > planet earth.
> > >
> > > Ian
> > >
> > >
> >
> > "But, in general, the protective system of our day is
> > conservative, while the free trade system is destructive.
> > It breaks up old nationalities and pushes the antagonism of
> > the proletariat and the bourgeoisie to the extreme point.
> > In a word, the free trade system hastens the social
> > revolution. It is in this revolutionary sense alone,
> > gentlemen, that I vote in favor of free trade." - Karl Marx
It should be noted that while in general Marx thought that free trade progressive in the sense that in general it promoted the development of the forces of production and the development of the proletariat as a class, he recognized instances where protectionism could be progressive. Thus, he argued that the achievement of independence by Ireland was necessary if that country was to industrialize and that this would require the establishment of protective tariffs against British goods together with agrarian revolution.
See http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1867/letters/67_11_30.htm
for Marx's letter to Engels on this and related issues.
Jim F.
>
>
> ========================
>
> The Fortune 500 won't let a Ricardian world come into existence.
> Indeed
> the latter is an institutional impossibility in the contemporary
> world.
> Ah, the tyranny of concepts........
>
> Ian
>
>
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>
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