Wednesday, August 06, 2003
Double Standard
Big business welcomes globalization -- but only when big business benefits.
Item: The House passes legislation allowing consumers to import cheaper drugs from Canada.
Item: IBM plans to move thousands of computer programming jobs to India.
Question: Aren't both events logical consequences of globalization of commerce?
Answer: Not if you're big business, which loves moving cheap jobs offshore but hates competing with cheaper imported drugs.
If you notice a double standard here, you're right.
American industry wants to be free to shift labor around the globe. And it fiercely lobbies against any restrictions, such as trans-national labor standards. But when it comes to property, business lobbies just as hard for ground rules that make it impossible for consumers to benefit from product imports that allegedly breach property rules. [...]
Big business welcomes globalization -- but only when big business benefits.
Item: The House passes legislation allowing consumers to import cheaper drugs from Canada.
Item: IBM plans to move thousands of computer programming jobs to India.
Question: Aren't both events logical consequences of globalization of commerce?
Answer: Not if you're big business, which loves moving cheap jobs offshore but hates competing with cheaper imported drugs.
If you notice a double standard here, you're right.
American industry wants to be free to shift labor around the globe. And it fiercely lobbies against any restrictions, such as trans-national labor standards. But when it comes to property, business lobbies just as hard for ground rules that make it impossible for consumers to benefit from product imports that allegedly breach property rules. [...]
themassesareasses© on blogger Wednesday, August 06, 2003 
