tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post115376821655001116..comments2024-03-04T17:54:32.559+00:00Comments on Iain Dale's Diary: Mitchell Calls for Free Trade in AfricaIain Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03270146219458384372noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-1154007691912651452006-07-27T14:41:00.000+01:002006-07-27T14:41:00.000+01:00I see nothing wrong with a Tory making remarks abo...I see nothing wrong with a Tory making remarks about how to make Africa more successful. Improving Africa this way (as opposed to just spending money) doesn't hurt Cornwall - economic growth is NOT a zero sum game.<BR/><BR/>I would also suggest that we should encourage the growth of a single currency, backed by us but run on non-inflationary rules. Some years ago John Major proposed that all EU countries should allow each other's currencies to flow freely (in the optomistic hope that the £ would see off all the foreigners). We are in a position to insist that an AfroThaler be allowed to circulate freely. Since so many African countries have triple digit inflation I think the competition would be slight. This would, in turn, allow ordinary Africans to accumulate savings - thus making real capitalism possible.neil craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09157898238945726349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-1153863397693741122006-07-25T22:36:00.000+01:002006-07-25T22:36:00.000+01:00John - thanks for the fuller post. I do appreciate...John - thanks for the fuller post. I do appreciate it. Now that I understand your position more, it doesn't quite sound like your views and Mitchell's differ greatly. I agree that this may not be the place for a detailed development economics debate. And neither do I believe that development economists have all the answers.Praguetoryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16520923731691837948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-1153823130341284302006-07-25T11:25:00.000+01:002006-07-25T11:25:00.000+01:00"You've just attacked, you haven't contributed at ..."You've just attacked, you haven't contributed at all in this post. Presumably you can give us drongos a clue what the nuance is? Observers that I respect such as Bhagwati suggest that it is developing countries that benefit most from free trade."<BR/><BR/>TBF - I don't think the comment on this blog is the right place for development debates!<BR/><BR/>You are right, they do. But the institutions you need in place before any of this can work are very fundamental. <BR/><BR/>You need to be careful to take barriers down only in a manner which the countries can take. You need to liberalise slowly and appropriately and to respect the wider spontaneous order. The East Asian Crisis was exacerbated by the Washington Consensus's insistence on total banking liberalisation in countries without the capacity to deal with it. <BR/><BR/>Much of the East Asian Crisis was precipitated by inapporporiate banking liberalisation forced through by the IMF.<BR/><BR/>I've always assumed there are no development economists at CCHQ - I would be interested to know if my hunch is correct.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-1153815385775540662006-07-25T09:16:00.001+01:002006-07-25T09:16:00.001+01:00John said " I follow development economics closely...John said " I follow development economics closely and I have never seen any indication that Mitchell sees much of the nuance of it...<BR/><BR/>... the development economic community has entirely woken up to the fact that free trade + liberalisation are not innately good."<BR/><BR/>You've just attacked, you haven't contributed at all in this post. Presumably you can give us drongos a clue what the nuance is? Observers that I respect such as Bhagwati suggest that it is developing countries that benefit most from free trade.Praguetoryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16520923731691837948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-1153815367662351502006-07-25T09:16:00.000+01:002006-07-25T09:16:00.000+01:00Living in the third world, as I do, it would be wo...Living in the third world, as I do, it would be wonderful if this Government would try to do something for Devon and Cornwall.<BR/><BR/>Shipbuilding is grinding to a halt in Appledore, through a disgraceful, almost corrupt, action by the Scottish Executive, whereby a contract which had been won was withdrawn because they wanted the scottish shipbuilders to get it! <BR/><BR/>In Cornwall over 800 jobs, more indirectly, because of the French company Imerys closing down their China Clay operation. So having made clay mountains all over the St.Austell area they throw these good people out of a job.<BR/><BR/>Of course they do not worry because Labour voters here in the third world are as rare as wild wallabies!<BR/><BR/>Mitchell, and this EU controlled Government, should remember that charity begins at home.strapworldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18228784526399929300noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-1153813333872492602006-07-25T08:42:00.000+01:002006-07-25T08:42:00.000+01:00This sounds like very good stuff. This could save ...This sounds like very good stuff. This could save literally millions of lives and help prevent war in sub-saharan africa.<BR/>Its perfect for Cameron: its Conservative (trade not aid), its compasionate, and its liberal.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-1153788637964809512006-07-25T01:50:00.000+01:002006-07-25T01:50:00.000+01:00anonymous 9:05 pm gets my vote.Perhaps this Mitche...anonymous 9:05 pm gets my vote.<BR/><BR/>Perhaps this Mitchell would like to engage in free trade (as in free of the shackles of the EU) for his own country before he bounces over to Africa to solve that vast continent's problems.<BR/><BR/>Large hint: countries are best acting and trading independently. The vastness of "Africa" is not manageable by you or your lovely ideas, Mr Mitchell. It is up to us to open our markets and up to Africans in all the countries on that continent to try to take advantage of this market - once we've opened it despite the Union of European Socialist Republics.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-1153785801537468632006-07-25T01:03:00.000+01:002006-07-25T01:03:00.000+01:00John, I think Andrew would be the first to agree t...John, I think Andrew would be the first to agree that that is something I could never be accused of!Iain Dalehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03270146219458384372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-1153784589035345812006-07-25T00:43:00.000+01:002006-07-25T00:43:00.000+01:00What a good idea, set up a large free trade zone i...What a good idea, set up a large free trade zone in Africa, promoting intra African trade, and giving them a larger sway at the WTo as their trade goes.<BR/><BR/>As Africans get richer they will also be less willing to accept bad governance.<BR/><BR/>Great ideas with great imagination.<BR/><BR/>I was also so impressed with Tobias Ellwoods comments on opium poppies in Afghanistan taht I worte a peice on it in my blog.Benedict Whitehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01382732288664789210noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-1153783135654306522006-07-25T00:18:00.000+01:002006-07-25T00:18:00.000+01:00Sucking up to your old boss's manager, eh Iain?I f...Sucking up to your old boss's manager, eh Iain?<BR/><BR/>I follow development economics closely and I have never seen any indication that Mitchell sees much of the nuance of it. I've never heard him say anything remotely off the Washington Consensus. <BR/><BR/>At the same time, the development economic community has entirely woken up to the fact that free trade + liberalisation are not innately good. <BR/><BR/>The processes of creative destruction are a lot more destructive than they are creative in the developing world.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-1153776654297582172006-07-24T22:30:00.000+01:002006-07-24T22:30:00.000+01:00Umm! Please resend your lost post, Iain.Thanks!...Umm! <BR/>Please resend your lost post, Iain.<BR/><BR/>Thanks!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-1153771534432494762006-07-24T21:05:00.000+01:002006-07-24T21:05:00.000+01:00It's great that Mr Mitchell has so much time on hi...It's great that Mr Mitchell has so much time on his hands that he can spend his time fretting about intra-African trade. <BR/><BR/>I'm sure the corrupt dictators will be suitably grateful for his words of wisdom.<BR/><BR/>Of course, it would be nice if the rest of the Shadow Cabinet showed some interest in the UK regaining the right to arrange its OWN free trade links. <BR/><BR/>Why is free trade fine for the poor Africans, but out of the question for English people?<BR/><BR/>There must be a jolly good reason, because no Tory PM has seen the virtues of free trade for at least 40 years.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-1153771254889555092006-07-24T21:00:00.000+01:002006-07-24T21:00:00.000+01:00Let's have the Pre$₤a and $leazey storyLet's have the Pre$₤a and $leazey storyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-1153770920780851742006-07-24T20:55:00.000+01:002006-07-24T20:55:00.000+01:00"PS Apologies for the lack of posts today. I did s...<I>"PS Apologies for the lack of posts today. I did send a good one (or so I thought) from my Blackberry this morning on Prescott and Levy, but somehow it got lost in cyberspace."</I><BR/><BR/>Iain - yep, shame you lost this piece, I know the feeling!<BR/>I wondered whether, in relation to Levy element of your story, you were picking up on the "source" quoted in today's <I>Times</I>,that the Noble Lord read from a prepared statement and then said "no comment" to everything he was asked. <BR/>I'm sure I read at the time that he was anxious to assist the police enquiry to the fullest extent possible.Peter from Putneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04133613985279722397noreply@blogger.com