Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site mnetor.UUCP Path: utzoo!utcs!mnetor!fred From: fred@mnetor.UUCP (Fred Williams) Newsgroups: can.politics Subject: Re: High Duties => Increased Competitiveness? Message-ID: <2197@mnetor.UUCP> Date: Tue, 17-Sep-85 10:41:59 EDT Article-I.D.: mnetor.2197 Posted: Tue Sep 17 10:41:59 1985 Date-Received: Tue, 17-Sep-85 12:21:48 EDT References: <1394@utcsri.UUCP> <2188@mnetor.UUCP> <1395@utcsri.UUCP> Reply-To: fred@mnetor.UUCP (Fred Williams) Distribution: can Organization: Computer X (CANADA) Ltd., Toronto, Ontario, Canada Lines: 55 Summary: In article <1395@utcsri.UUCP> peterr@utcsri.UUCP (Peter Rowley) writes: >Finally! We admit that duties and competiveness are not the only variables >around. I agree, of course. My original posting was simplistic on purpose; >designed to lure the ever-eager net predators into a trap (heh heh). Your original posting was more than simplistic, it was wrong, and we told you so. I for one agree that there is more involved in competitiveness than duties and taxation! But free trade will allow natural market forces to play a greater role in governing the degree of competitiveness. If we then choose to price ourselves out of the market, then we'll get what we deserve. Like Chris said; >+ >+Therefore, we should ... >+ 1) LOWER the salaries for our workers so that our industry >+ can be more price-competitive. > >But, sigh, there they go again thinking that anything economically good >can be caused by lowering duties. There are other variables, remember? >In fact, before this can be proposed, let's find out why the duties in >Japan don't cause wage inflation. Maybe we can do what they do. > The fact that there are other variables does not mean that no economic good can come from lowering duties. It is a step in the right direction. No one is claiming that this will solve the worlds problems. >... If the government wants to bring in legislation that will increase >competitiveness yet at the same time provide for people who will be displaced It is highly unlikely that any such legislation can be drafted. It is in a way like asking for something for nothing, a free lunch, and this to the best of my knowledge does not exist. Check out the laws of thermodynamics. >...I do not want parts of Canada to be >ravaged by unemployment and the resulting crime and riots that have hit >Britain, for example) Your ignoring causality again. Is this another of your simplistic traps?(:-)> >... But I believe it is far >more effective to make reasoned changes in existing structures rather than >to stress them (e.g. with free trade), see which break, and throw those away. >It is just too expensive (especially in human terms) to do that on a national >scale. Hmmm, are you building up to suggest something like communism? Exactly what "reasoned changes" do you see? I'd like to know, really. -- Cheers, Fred Williams, UUCP: {allegra, linus, ihnp4}!utzoo!mnetor!fred BELL: (416)-475-8980 ext. 318