Re: WTO

[Bill Burgess <burgess@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Several people (e.g. Jim, Doug) have suggested that Barkley is basically
repeating the neoclassical economist's creed on free trade. I don't know
what is in Barkley's head but that is not what I see. I think he has been
pointing to the rather glaring contradictions in many arguments against the
WTO, in the way that left economists usually do in cases where the choices
are options presented by capitalism rather than something that points a way
out.

Doug said the protests were anti-capitalist and he and Jim reminded us that
the Third World WTO delegates represent capitalist classes in those
countries. Of course, but on trade issues they still represent the victims
of imperialism versus the victimizers who run the WTO. Isn't there
something very wrong when most 'anti-capitalist' protesters think that the
way to build an anti-capitalist alliance is to urge the victimizers to
dictate to the victims?

Bill