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Farmer-Rick

(10,071 posts)
15. But not unregulated "free" trade
Fri Aug 30, 2019, 09:48 PM
Aug 2019

Look at the wars and enslavement as a result of the spice trade, opium wars and the wholesale concentration camps from sugar, cotton and coffee trade. Look at the potatoe famine in Ireland for how trade destroys. More wars have been fought over trade then over religion, though frequently they were used to hide one or the other.

And Why should trade be free when people aren't? When you can't ever make enough money to cover a serious medical issue, unless you have insurance, that is not freedom for people. But is freedom for trade.

But in reality there is no such thing as "free" trade. You can Not have trade without some form of government to provide protected markets so people can trade without being robbed, or courts to enforce contracts or laws to prevent wholesale fraud.

There are not only 2 choices, free trade or Nationalism. There are many possibilities between those 2 extremes. But don't fall into the capitalist trap of thinking trade will bring peaceful coexistence. It never has before, why should it now?

U.S. history is a "story of war, genocide, and slavery." yardwork Aug 2019 #1
Many of her articles share the theme of human suffering to get us nice things IronLionZion Aug 2019 #2
It's a global phenomenon. yardwork Aug 2019 #6
Imperialism, capitalism, and consumerism are not victimless ideologies. TeamPooka Aug 2019 #11
Natural flavors cinnamon, nutmeg, etc. n/t Ms. Toad Aug 2019 #3
Flavors can mean anything. IronLionZion Sep 2019 #18
Or they use liquid Bettie Sep 2019 #19
Correct - they can. Ms. Toad Sep 2019 #21
That's a good point. Starbucks used to use natural AND artificial ingredients IronLionZion Sep 2019 #22
Thanks for the reminder Farmer-Rick Aug 2019 #4
The alternatives are even worse. Nationalism leads to war. yardwork Aug 2019 #7
But not unregulated "free" trade Farmer-Rick Aug 2019 #15
Ugh. I hate pumpkin-spice ANYTHING! Coventina Aug 2019 #5
Me too Bettie Sep 2019 #20
We all live on top of a big pyramid of murder JCMach1 Aug 2019 #8
At a glance, I thought the title was "Pumpkin Space Wars" blugbox Aug 2019 #9
No guilt from me... I HAAATE PUMPKIN SPICE!!! Sapient Donkey Aug 2019 #10
Give me Skidmore Aug 2019 #12
so no worries over the coffee beans or the milk, but we can guilt about the spices? 0rganism Aug 2019 #13
You can guilt about whatever you want IronLionZion Sep 2019 #17
There is no ethical consumption under capitalism. WhiskeyGrinder Aug 2019 #14
Too much emphasis on pumpkin when the only Ilsa Aug 2019 #16
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