Surviving Capitalism (Not) : Free trade in rhetoric, not in practice

We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Friday, May 27, 2016

Free trade in rhetoric, not in practice

Click here to access article by Martin Khor from The Star (Malaysia).

This article touches on a subject that has always puzzled me: the contradiction between the rhetoric of "free trade" and the actual practice of "free trade"; and even more so, the fact that this is rarely acknowledged in Western media, both alternative and corporate media. It is a very well kept secret of Western economic imperialism.

Western countries commonly proclaim the great benefits of free trade and the evils of protectionism.

In reality, many developed countries practise double standards, insisting on free trade in areas where they are strong, whilst using protectionist measures in sectors where they are weak.

In the worst case, within the same sector they have designed rules that impose liberalisation on developing countries but allow themselves to maintain high protectionism.