RE: A project for Pen-L

[Bill Rosenberg <w.rosenberg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Speaking as an activist in this area, what Paul is suggesting would be
superb, and would be eagerly awaited.

Bill


> -----Original Message-----
> From: phillp2@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:phillp2@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
> Sent: Wednesday, 28 November 2001 5:41 pm
> To: pen-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [PEN-L:20054] A project for Pen-L
>
> Michael,
>
> (and others) have been lamenting the failure of Pen-l to look at the
> current economic problems etc.   I have a practical (?) suggestion.
>
> I teach a course called "Canadian Economic Problems" and also
> am frequently called upon to lecture on "free trade" and its
> implications, etc.  What I do not have is a comprehensive critique
> of so-called free trade, all the agreements etc.  What I would like to
> see is pen-l put together a comprehensive critique of 'free trade'
> (sic) that we could use in classes, public protests, media, etc. with
> all the appropriate academic references to studies, reports, etc.
>
> I know of a number of studies (such as the excellent one by CEPR)
> on globalism and (the failure of) growth.  But I don't know them all.
> Nor do I know of all of the studies on NAFTA and job destruction
> such as the one by EPI/CCPA.  What I would like to see is a
> series of reports, not overly long, by interested pen-l members of
> the evils of 'free trade' and its effects.  Something that we could
put
> together and download (or get students to download) that would
> give a comprehensive theoretical and empirical critique of the 'free
> trade conspiracy' with all the appropriate footnotes/URLs to relevant
> studies/reports/websites.
>
> I am not suggesting whole articles.  Indeed that would make the
> project useless -- but rather short 500-1000 word summaries of a
> group of empirical and/or theoretical literature.
>
> Is this a feasible project?  Or is it academic wishthinking?  I do
> think we need to give our young people in the trenches some
> theoretical and practical evidence to maintain their resolve, never
> mind our own.
>
> Paul Phillips,
> Economics,
> University of Manitoba