Buy British - Do you, would you, should you?

[El Cid]

 

Have you ever looked at the history of protectionism to illuminate your opinion?

 

I am not suggesting a protectionist tax, the EU has import taxes, but that rarely gets mentioned in the media.

 

It would make UK manufactured goods less competitive elsewhere though as equal and opposite protectionist policies were put in place by foreign governments.

 

 

Not high protectionist duties, low tariffs that replace VAT, quite easy to have agreements that everything bar food gets a 10-20% tax(both ways), and reduce VAT to compensate.

 

French farmers block Spanish and German borders in foreign food protest

 

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/27/french-farmers-block-spanish-and-german-borders-in-foreign-food-protest

Edited July 27, 2015 by El Cid

[unbeliever]

I am not suggesting a protectionist tax, the EU has import taxes, but that rarely gets mentioned in the media.

 

 

 

Not high protectionist duties, low tariffs that replace VAT, quite easy to have agreements that everything bar food gets a 10-20% tax(both ways), and reduce VAT to compensate.

 

The EU is guilty of protectionism. They're damaging both the economies of the EU countries and of poor countries with these taxes. If they had any conscience of sense, they'd abolish them.

 

What you're suggesting is damaging to the economy and would certainly increase the overall price of everything.

[Cyclone]

I am not suggesting a protectionist tax, the EU has import taxes, but that rarely gets mentioned in the media.

 

 

 

Not high protectionist duties, low tariffs that replace VAT, quite easy to have agreements that everything bar food gets a 10-20% tax(both ways), and reduce VAT to compensate.

 

French farmers block Spanish and German borders in foreign food protest

 

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/27/french-farmers-block-spanish-and-german-borders-in-foreign-food-protest

 

You started one of your earlier posts by saying that you didn't see the problem with protectionism...

 

---------- Post added 27-07-2015 at 10:35 ----------

 

Yes I do.

If they have a surplus and they sell it freely, that is absolutely the right thing to do. How else are these countries supposed to earn a living?

How on earth can it fail to generate a positive economic effect?

 

I suggest you have a read around the issue

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_4070000/newsid_4077200/4077204.stm

 

That was the 1st link I found, there's plenty of information available.

 

Have a look at Indonesia and the Palm Oil production, and there are more examples easily available.

I can't believe you're even questioning this. It's so obvious.

The fact that you think this is simple and obvious makes it pretty clear that you don't understand the issue at all.

[El Cid]

You started one of your earlier posts by saying that you didn't see the problem with protectionism...

 

I believe in making the system work in the best interests of the people, if you get things being dumped, then totally free trade is wrong.

But as a general principle, government should allow trade based on fair taxes.

[Eater Sundae]

I believe in making the system work in the best interests of the people, if you get things being dumped, then totally free trade is wrong.

But as a general principle, government should allow trade based on fair taxes.

 

Dumping is a type of protectionism. It isn't free trade at all.

[unbeliever]

 

I suggest you have a read around the issue

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_4070000/newsid_4077200/4077204.stm

 

 

Yes it has its problems. I didn't say it way perfect.

How else are they supposed to get money to lift themselves out of poverty?

[Cyclone]

If they're starving then they haven't lifted themselves out of anything, they're being exploited.

[L00b]

French farmers block Spanish and German borders in foreign food protest

 

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/27/french-farmers-block-spanish-and-german-borders-in-foreign-food-protest

As it happens, a good family friend runs the Leclerc hypermarket local to my family in France, and has long bought a lot of fresh produce locally (meat, veg and artisan stuff - for years) for the store.

 

That didn't prevent some local farmers from spreading manure (a few tons of it) across the car park Saturday in the dead of night. Gendarmes informed close to the time of the event (the Gendarmerie is a few hundred yards away!), came and had a look, did sod all. Cost him a few €s to have it all cleaned yesterday (particularly as water is now rationed due to drought), ready for opening today. But the smell ain't going away soon, as they're getting (and have been getting for the past month) 30C+ everyday there.

 

I'm informed that he has taken a half-page ad in today's local edition of the main regional newspaper (Le Républicain Lorrain), thanking the local farmers for their present, and informing them that he is rewarding their loyalty by not buying anything from them anymore until such time as he has made up the cleaning money on sales of foreign/wholesale produce

[unbeliever]

If they're starving then they haven't lifted themselves out of anything, they're being exploited.

 

You're describing economic mismanagement by the state in that country.

 

How else are they supposed to get money for things other than food?

[El Cid]

You're describing economic mismanagement by the state in that country. How else are they supposed to get money for things other than food?

 

Not every country follows a dogmatic consumerist policy. Some poorer countries actually have a happier population that the rich countries, so pursuing a consumerist philosophy can be negative.