Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Backfire

A few years ago there was a free trade agreement between us and Mexico. NAFTA.  It was supposed to be a good deal for all.  No messy tariffs that keep trade out.  Everyone wins right?  Wrong.  Seems we subsidize farmer here.  They grow surplus corn.  We sell it at low prices to Mexico.  Sounds good?  Problem is there were subsistence, i.e. poor farmers in Mexico who could not compete with the imported, now lower priced corn.  Consumers at the grocery store liked the price.  The poor farmer went out of business.  Then he came here with his family and we got upset that all these poor Mexicans are coming into our country.  I have done deals that look really good because I focus on who benefits.  If my vision shows "all" benefit, it might be that my "all" does not really include all.  It often includes only those with a voice.  I am trying to be a bit more careful about blaming people for being poor, as if they could be otherwise.

1 comment:

  1. Unfortunately all the deals only focus on those who benefits.

    Not to mention Matthew 25:41...

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