Re: (Blinder 2) More on the anti-globalization trend.

On Mar 31, 12:29 pm, alexy <nos...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Straydog <a...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

On Fri, 30 Mar 2007, alexy wrote:

Straydog <a...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I just posted excerpts from a recent WSJ article on Alan Blinder who now
thinks globalization isn't working.

You mean the article that said that "Mr. Blinder... remains an
implacable opponent of tariffs and trade barriers."

Looks like you missed the forest for the trees.

No. You missed the point. Ever play the "whispering game" as a child,
where something is whispered through a chain of people, and the end
result compared to the original. That seems to be what is happening
here. You are putting your twist on what Wassel (who appears to be a
Lou Dobbs wannabe) has put forth as his twist of what Blinder said.

If Blinder thinks globalization isn't working, why would he oppose
tariffs and trade barriers? Think about that one a second. Then
speculate on what might be a better characterization of his position,
considering his opposition to anything that would curtail
globalization. Might it have been more accurate to say that Blinder
now thinks the negative effects of globalization are much worse than
previously thought?

Russell responded with an analogy to door knobs and drawer slides, but
I didn't follow the analogy.

Please, I don't think you're that dense, but I'll
explain further. One uses use the proper tool or
part for the job in which it will work successfully.
It is generally much easier and works much better
than using a part meant for some other purpose. I
could have screwed a door knob onto the back of the
cabinet and epoxied the drawer slide to it, and
screwed the slide support bracket to the door and
pulled on it instead of a door knob to open the
door, but neither solution would have worked nearly
as well as using the proper part for fixing each
problem.

Do you or Russell think it is possible to
oppose globalization while not imposing tariffs or trade barriers?
How? You might camouflage tariffs or trade barriers, but I don't see
how you oppose globalization without putting some restrictions on it.
--

I can't read minds, but perhaps Blinder doesn't
think tariffs or trade barriers will work. As for
what will work, until they make me Secretary of
Commerce or Treasury that's for someone else to
figure out. There is an old saying, when all you
have is a hammer, everything starts to look like
a nail. We may need a new tool, and if Blinder
is wise enough to realize that and not see
everything as a nail, he's wiser than most of
our "leaders" today.

Cheers,
Russell

.

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