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I didn't mean to imply anything bad about the second kind of people. My first cut swung too much the other way, so I revised it -- apparently a bit too far. I

I didn't mean to imply anything bad about the second kind of people. My first cut swung too much the other way, so I revised it -- apparently a bit too far. I like those folks. Trying to be a really good parent and provide enough for your family are perfectly admirable goals in life.

apathy 19y ago
Trying to be a really good parent and provide enough for your family are perfectly admirable goals in life. This is equally true for (eg.) the 2 billion people in India and China, many well-educated, many of whom are valiantly striving to match the Western standard of living (seen on Western teevee programs and in movies) by earning enough to provide it for their own families. Would you deny them their opportunity by foreclosing new markets? Compete, adapt, or be swept aside in due course -- if you really care about your family, you will put a little thought into how best to support them as the world changes. Americans will experience a decline in average real income, but those who provide globally competitive value of interest to the rising middle class in other countries should do quite well. I'm sure a great many stenographers, buggy-whip makers, and hand-launderers provided well for their families, in their day. But I submit to you that, overall, mankind is better off, even though change may have made their lives worse for a spell. Someone else put it thus -- competition is a discovery process: discovering better ways to do things. If you do not participate, your value to society may decline as a result of that abstinence. It may not make you a bad person, but it will likely reduce your ability to comfortably support those you care about. Do the right thing. ;-)
- wanorris 19y ago
  The fact that I like those people and think they shouldn't be written off doesn't mean I think they're right about protecting dying sectors of the economy at the expense of strangling growth. And yes, I believe strongly in free trade and love to see the growth in standard of living in (parts of) India and China. I do, however, support free-market-compatible ways of softening the blow such as job retraining programs and enterprise zones for the hardest-hit areas. We can't stop the clock for people, but we can try and help those people get back on their feet when they get knocked over.

apathy 19y ago

Trying to be a really good parent and provide enough for your family are perfectly admirable goals in life. This is equally true for (eg.) the 2 billion people in India and China, many well-educated, many of whom are valiantly striving to match the Western standard of living (seen on Western teevee programs and in movies) by earning enough to provide it for their own families. Would you deny them their opportunity by foreclosing new markets? Compete, adapt, or be swept aside in due course -- if you really care about your family, you will put a little thought into how best to support them as the world changes. Americans will experience a decline in average real income, but those who provide globally competitive value of interest to the rising middle class in other countries should do quite well. I'm sure a great many stenographers, buggy-whip makers, and hand-launderers provided well for their families, in their day. But I submit to you that, overall, mankind is better off, even though change may have made their lives worse for a spell. Someone else put it thus -- competition is a discovery process: discovering better ways to do things. If you do not participate, your value to society may decline as a result of that abstinence. It may not make you a bad person, but it will likely reduce your ability to comfortably support those you care about. Do the right thing. ;-)

wanorris 19y ago
The fact that I like those people and think they shouldn't be written off doesn't mean I think they're right about protecting dying sectors of the economy at the expense of strangling growth. And yes, I believe strongly in free trade and love to see the growth in standard of living in (parts of) India and China. I do, however, support free-market-compatible ways of softening the blow such as job retraining programs and enterprise zones for the hardest-hit areas. We can't stop the clock for people, but we can try and help those people get back on their feet when they get knocked over.