Democratic Party Fiscal Conservatism

[Rakesh Bhandari <rakeshb@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

michael perelman wrote:

> protection by way of intellectual property is
> far more decisive than keeping some clothing and steel out of the economy.

is the summers and delong paper circulating yet?

>
> Whoah.  I would think that the Keynesians would be more likely to be linked with
> the forces in favor of globalization.

not true of keynes himself who came to agree to the use of tariffs in
depression conditions (see douglas irwin's against the tide: an intellectual
history of free trade) and supported, to take one example, britain's neo
mercantilist trade policy with argentina (see dieter rothermund, the global
impact of the great depression; for keynes' imperialist racialism and big
nation chauvinism in general, see John Toye, Keynes on Population).

wynne godley has supported a system of tariffs as well since the early 70s,
according to Irwin.

now I know that Doug says he is against the protectionism implicit in this idea
of fair trade. But one could not gather that from his published pieces in
lingua franca and more importantly the nation.

Doug and Liza have got out of getting tough on fair trade by taking USAS as a
synecdoche of the anti-globalization movement. Their coverage of anti
globalization has been focused on these kids. But that's a choice of how to
frame the anti globalization movement.

 Then they say that the kids are not for buy american campaigns (except in that
one instance which they criticize in passing) or trade sanctions or even
boycotts (the latter I really doubt).

Yet the unions hope to recruit students for their organizing (see the cambodia
case which according to doug shows that UNITE is doing good things for the
benighted third world worker, though doug "somehow" forgets to mention UNITE's
success in shutting out Cambodian imports) and policy campaigns.

I don't know about keynesians but the american left has effectively capitulated
to protectionism and neo mercantile trade policy. they are too excited about
seattle, genoa and fair trade to see the other side.  They are thus walking in
the steps of the neo mercantilist and big nation chauvinist John Maynard
Keynes.

At any rate, my experience in attempting to engage the left allows me to
understand why an impasse in multilateral trade is being reached on a global
level. the ones who have the power are not interested in talking.  The third
world will be left having to enter into bilateral and regional trade deals
which will even be more one sided against them. Meanwhile, whole peoples will
be put on the margins of the new emergent region-based trading system--probably
Africa and India, as Bhagwati long ago warned.

> Keynes was only duplicitous if you identify him as a person of the left.

 Oh I don't but most leftists do.

Rakesh

ps i am unsubbing for another month or so.