For Want of A Dog

I'm not sure if free markets are /the/ answer... but, I know donations aren't. I remember going to a conference on poverty at Georgetown and someone had who worked for UNESCO said something along the lines of "we try to raise millions of dollars to help the third world but a change in U.S., European and Japanese agricultural subsidies could easily do more than billions of dollars in aid". It is theft and doubly so when we force countries to open up parts of their markets to things that benefit us while not giving them benefits in return (even though it would benefit us consumers--just not producers). This is the problem when there are large specific costs but dispersed benefits--the few hire the lobbiests and we deal with higher prices without knowing.

I really think we need to free up markets. Damned populist Democrats. And it's not that I'm a great champion of capitalism as they way to bring people out of poverty. I think it has many problems, foremost among them that capitalism is amoral and is always going to be tied to politics. There cannot be a truly free market--because a country's power helps to influence economic factors. Yet, still, I think people who want to do good in the world should realize that economically speaking the Democrats plan of a hike in the minimum wage / social supports at home and populist economics of closing off trade is harmful to the people of the world. Not that I agree with Republicans not wanting a social security net, but I personally don't care more about Americans than foreigners--for we are all equal in the eyes of The Market.

Jam it back in, in the dark.