3 ms·
Free Trade for Free Countries is a decent slogan! I’ve long been disappointed that this isn’t the mainstream position. Anything else feels very hypocritical (fo
by pfannkuchen 4y ago
Free Trade for Free Countries is a decent slogan! I’ve long been disappointed that this isn’t the mainstream position. Anything else feels very hypocritical (for the US).
- throwawaymaths 4y agoEh, economic engagement with unfree countries got us south korea, Taiwan, probably more in eastern Europe: Albania comes to mind. Afaict disengagement only worked with south Africa.
- SkyMarshal 4y agoThere’s roughly three levels free vs unfree: 1. Democratic countries that mostly abide by international law and the rules-based order. 2. Non-democratic countries that also mostly abide by international law and the rules-based order, because they benefit from it more than not doing so. 3. Non-democratic countries that reject international law and the rules-based order. The US trades with #1 and #2, and was hoping to make China into #2. But unfortunately it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen, China is in the grey area between #2 and #3 and probably trending toward #3.
- throwawaymaths 4y agoBeautifully said.
- jacquesm 4y ago2 works for small countries, if countries are large enough they can afford themselves to be a 3, which otherwise is reserved for failed states and outright dictatorships.
- pfannkuchen 4y agoMy goal wouldn’t be to get them to change. We just shouldn’t get involved.