World trade talks dead – thank goodness

Posted on December 15 2008

The World Trade talks are dead, for now.

There are many reasons for being grateful for that. The developing world does not want this solution.

Nor, though, do we. Read what Linda Kaucher has to say here. The deal on the table would outlaw state involvement in many parts of the economy even though we now know that the private sector cannot and never will deliver what is needed by many people in most economies around the world.

This deal has to be buried once and for all. The rape of the common wealth by big business has to be stopped.

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6 Responses

  1. Georges says:
    December 16 2008 at 2:38 pm

    Richard,

    “….even though we now know that the private sector cannot and never will deliver what is needed by many people in most economies around the world….”

    And the state does? Is that TR-UK’s position? Examples? Other?

  2. Tax Research LLP says:
    December 16 2008 at 5:06 pm

    Georges

    Try universal healthcare

    Or universal eduction

    Try law and order

    And on and on…….

    Markets provide the froth on the cappuccino very well. The state usually supplies the coffee

    Richard

  3. James says:
    December 16 2008 at 5:10 pm

    I think we need to avoid fundamentalist positions here. Left to its own devices as it has been, the private sector will clearly continue to deliver very very little to the population of sub-saharan Africa. A Maoist total state control option has been shown not to work anywhere. The issue is the terms on which state and private sector co-operate to deliver something better than the current disaster.

  4. Tax Research LLP says:
    December 16 2008 at 5:33 pm

    James

    Absolutely right

    Let’s not for a minute assume the state can do everything – it cannot, ever. And if it sught to do so it would crush enterprise within many human beings

    This is a partnership

    The difficulty with GATS is it denies a role for the state – and that is as wrong

    I do not trust extremes – whatever the direction of travel – hence the cappuccino example – symbiotic cooperation that produces something a lot of people think better

    Richard

  5. Georges says:
    December 17 2008 at 10:29 am

    Richard,

    So, the state can’t provide everything? A rather big admission for the hard-left statists at TR-UK.

    As it relates to world trade talks/WTO, who do you think are clinging to the policies which hamper the development of African economies? Governments (ie. the state!) in the developed world.

    I guess poverty, economic servitude, and aid dependancy is indeed one thing the state can deliver (if not to its own citizenry, those abroad as well).

  6. Tax Research LLP says:
    December 17 2008 at 1:04 pm

    Georges

    Yet again the comment that says much more about you than you can possibly say about me.

    I work quite regularly with members of the Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green parties. I have also had contact with Welsh and Scottish nationalists of late. I have a scheduled meeting with senior Conservatives early in the New Year.

    I have published for think tanks like Policy Exchange ( and obviously left wing organisation)

    So where does that put me on the political spectrum? I’ll be candid, a little left of the UK Parliamentary median, I suspect, properly described as a social democrat, but it is rather hard to see that how that makes me a hard left statist. In that case where does that place you if this is your perception of my position?

    Richard