h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Due to an article that I've written on The Freetrade Mark,
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A560404

This article is almost complete and sitting around in peer review at the moment, many people that have commented on it are wanting an expansion on the free vs. fair argument, which I believe would be to big to be encompassed in the original article.

So, I'm here to make the suggestion that the economics dept, might be able to take it up as a project!

Well?

Z.

Just thought I would pop myself down on this thread to officialy offer you any help I can offer Z.

Things we can cover -just thinking aloud for a while...

Actual Debate on free v fair
The old MIA, and how and why it was stopped by the NGOs.
The NGO's.
The WTO of course... possible alternatives to WTO?
Growth: Economic, population, sustainabilitiy thereof.

I get the impression that of the people to express interest in the project so far, we are short of someone who is strongly for the free trade side of the argument, which may make impartiality harder.

I support Free Trade, but I don't have the background or knowledge to do it justice.

I've just researched how to start a university project properly and it looks like quite a task and I didn't like my year at uni anyway!

So I'm tempted to let this languish here until someone notices and becomes all studious and ethical and takes it over!!


Z.

Okay Zarniwoop,

Thanks for the suggestion. Maybe someone will feel inspired by the idea and take it on.

Thanks

Thanx Peta,

but it's ZarniRoop!

Z.

If this gets off the ground, I am willing to help out, although I'm not an expert on the subject I'm afraid

I'm on the side of Fair Trade rather than Free Trade, too, so biased as well.

And I don't know anything about university projects yet either.

But given all that, if you want my help, I'm in!

Fantastic . It definitely will get off the ground, but it might take a while - I am buried in chemistry for the next two months, so if nobody else wants to take the bull by the horns before then, I shall step in sometime after that.

Buried in chemistry? Sounds itchy.

Damn! Now there are hob knob crumbs in the keyboard again

Hob Knobs? Well it doesnt get much better than hob knob crumbs on the keyboard, apart from whole packets of hob knobs on the key board I suppose....

Just to reassure all the very many people who care that I have not forgotten my promise to take this bull by the horns at some point - I had a dream/nightmare about this project last night actually, so even if my conciouns hasnt got time at the moment, my subconcions is still working away at it - I have 10 days (what a soon deadline <nakedfear&gt of chemistry left, then I am on holiday for a month, then after that I will be ready and eager to push back boundaries of impartiality like they have never been pushed before.

vp

Oh good, I will have recovered from tonsilitis by then

I think that free trade is an abomination. Despite controversy and very obvious shortcomings, it was passed first, i think, in the form of NAFTA, then continued with the WTO/IMF. Free trade is a concept of capitalism that, I fear, is only supported by the wealthy interest groups as a means of making alot money without any regard to the rights of workers or the environmental hazards. The US started and maintains this idea so that it can export jobs away from american workers to foreign workers who in some cases get paid 1/70th the amount the american workers would have to get paid, and this is where the "free" part of free trade comes in. The wealthy elite can not only save big on labor cost, but it can now avoid the tariffs and taxes that used to be charged on imports from other countries. Not to mention that american corporations can now avoid installing the hugely expensive pollution reducing technology due to the lax nature of most foreign environmental laws. The US does not support worker right's and environmental rights in any other country but our own because it is not profitable. I think that free trade would work just fine if it were also fair trade, but at this point it is merely an uncaring, unsharing, profit driven, corrupt form of capitalism at it's worst. Just try getting a manufacturing job in the US, they don't exist anymore. The only thing to do here now is to scrape by in the service industry or construction. The euphamism that all men are created equal does not apply to those who wish to have the wealth of thousands or millions while thousands or millions are without food and shelter as a result. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Hi Researcher 209077
thanx for yr coments! i agree with most of them, tho not sure that the US solely inveted free trade. Tho most of us do like to blame them! Also the environmental laws in the states, still aren't as good as a lot of the developed world, get bush to ratify Kyoto!
I have visited yr home space and found it prety draughty, any chance u might move in properly - put a carpet down, few chairs, wallpaper and maybe put a name up!
Hope yr enjoying the rest of the guide!

Z.

It's me again, jsut figured out how to change my username, formerly Researcher 209077. Thanks for the kind words, I wasn't expecting a reply so quickly. This site is so cool, i read about it in The Salmon of Doubt. I don't think the US invented free trade all by itself, but it was at least 75% player if you ask me. We have most of the largest corporations in the world, and our branches are far reaching. I think our environmental laws are fairly lax and they are sliding downhill since dubyah became supreme ruler. It's just the environmental laws in the undeveloped world that concern me, like the far east and central america. Free trade is fine with me, just not free trade at any cost to the average citizen of our planet, and since 95% of the wealth sits in the hands of 5% of the population that leaves alot of the world in the dust just to pamper a few. All men are created equal, they say, but that 5% elite group seems to want to be more equal than the rest of us. I could go on and on about topics like this, but i must go eat my supper now. Thanks again for the reply, Z. Be back soon to converse more.

Hi tominator2
thanx for yr intelligent reply! and groovy that u got yr username sorted, hope u add an intro to yr personal space, then people can call in and leave u messages!
What is "salmon of doubt"

Z.

Yeah, I will get my personal space set up soon, I have to come up with something clever to put there. The Salmon of Doubt is a posthumous publication of works that were found on Douglas Adams' Mac after he died. It's a cool book, I would reccommend it to be read. I think he was one of the best authors ever. You can find the book at some Amazon.com link pages i think. What happened to your article on free trade vs. fair trade? I tried to read it but they said it was gone. And how did you ever come up with that name? I gotta go, but i'll be back soon. Peace frog.

T2

Editorial Note: This conversation has been moved from 'Current University Projects' to 'Faculty of Social Sciences'.

Researcher: U132645 Zarniwoop

Edited Entry:
A592706 The Fairtrade Mark

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