At Davos, fear of retrenchment from free trade

[Joanne98]

Source: AP


DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — Global leaders had a simple message for the world on Saturday: Keep trading.

If nations instead choose to barricade their economies behind new commercial barriers, they risk making the global economic crisis even worse, leaders said.

"Trade is the best economic stimulus," said Doris Leuthard, the Swiss economics minister who hosted trade chiefs from the world's most powerful countries on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum.

Hundreds of anti-capitalist, anti-globalization protesters in Geneva violently rebutted the free trade argument, lobbing bottles at riot police, who responded with tear gas and water cannons. The Geneva protest — about five hours by train from the gathering of 2,500 business and political leaders in Davos — had been peaceful until police blocked a crowd from entering the city center.



Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ih7ekzGzHleDVPZdrK-i3cqG7sowD9629INO1

[DJ13]

1. "Trade is the best economic stimulus,"

If that was true would we be in this mess after the last 25 years of "cheap labor" free trade?

[Waiting For Everyman]

2. Hmm... I foresee life getting difficult for the global corporatists.

The whole world has identified them as the problem. They'll need higher fortress walls, and more mercs to protect them.

I wouldn't want to be one of them "for all the tea in China".

[blackbart99]

12. yeah....tough talk for a PLEB....

What are you really going to do about it? The time is coming for the economic restructuring
of the planet. Remember France and the Enlightenment ERA? Let's sharpen up our Guillotines.
The gun shop is my next stop!!!:hide: :tinfoilhat:

[peacetalksforall]

21. Trying to get DU taken down by Homeland Security? They could interpret this as a threat?

[Waiting For Everyman]

22. Nevermind, my bad.

I thought you were replying to me, at first.

[Deja Q]

19. If they drink tea imported from China, do they have it vetted for metal shavings or glycol first?

[Mudoria]

3. Fair trade would be a good starting point...

[UpInArms]

4. this from the idiots that have made the world an economic and environmental

mess

they should all just take their overbloated selves home to the gated mcmansion communities and hope the fences are tall enough

[corpseratemedia]

5. then why did "free trade" FAIL?

???

[NashVegas]

11. Because Someone Thought "First World" Types Could All Get By On Owning Stock

And "intellectual property."

[Amonester]

23. It did not fail... (to make the already wealthiest wealthier).

And since the wealthier wealthiest can never possess enough possessions...

[jeff30997]

6. Like I said on other posts:

They are parasites,leeches that drain us for their own benefit.

[OhioChick]

7. "Trade is the best economic stimulus"

Bullshit.

[HereSince1628]

8. Everyone wants access to US consumer's dollar$

But what they don't seem to acknowledge is that in just over a dozen years of really serious free-trade liberalization, the US consumer has run out of both employment and credit.

You can't have anything like balanced free-trade in a world in which income and cost of living is so asymmetric.

[blue97keet]

9. How about some safety firewalling?

These global leaders have engineered a Titanic without compartments hardware architecture and a tangled up spaghetti-code software architecture and now what we got is unfettered error propagation.

[NashVegas]

10. Damn Skippy. They Should Be Afraid

The localism movement is growing by leaps and bounds.

[Vincardog]

13. Fuck the free trade traitors. Get thee to Greatest

[bvar22]

14. Protectionist ???....Damn Straight..!

Some things are worth protecting.
Just do it fairly and wisely.

[FredStembottom]

15. the world now has all of Americas stuff

Our machines, factories, know-how and dollars. You're welcome.

Let them now use these things to serve the billions and billions of humans within their own political borders.
Those populaces too poor to buy much? Guess they'll just have to raise wages going to their workers to grow internal demand.
Meanwhile.... we need jobs of our own once again.

Economies back within their political borders.

[leftstreet]

16. Swiffer Pads and Erectile Dysfunction Drugs for all! n/t

[Uncle Joe]

17. Trade is better than war,

nations that usually trade with one another are less likely to wage war.

I believe as the world equalizes, trade will become less of a controversial issue.

[Confusious]

18. right now it sucks

and its dragging us all down.

edit: damn s button

[Joe Chi Minh]

25. But justice, like charity, begins at home. You have a virtual economic block

within your own borders. Foreign trade is fine, as long as it's not in terms of globalisation to the profit only our countries' traitorous thieves.

[Deja Q]

20. I'm for capitalism, but I'm also for fair trade, fair chances, supporting one's fellow countryman.

As well as other countries that do their fair part in globalization.

[Joe Chi Minh]

24. You bet they're fearful! They've been found out in a big way, and they

know the boom will be lowered on them and their antics, sooner, rather than later. Free trade, my eye! It's a game of Monopoly.