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

Entry: International Trade and Relations - A881327
Author: Researcher 190755 - U190755

This is an article on International Trade and Relations. It looks at how trade is used within the context of international relations.

I always have a problem with these school pieces. They frequently read as if the writer is lecturing, and this effectively squashes any personal style within the piece.

As an overview of International trade and relations this piece deals exclusively with the ability of a super-power to impose its will upon another country, though it also touches upon the inadvisability of basing ones economy upon a single commodity.

The article makes a great many assumptions about the nature of trade and the standing of the reader with regard to the development of trade. Perhaps changing the title to reflect the limited area of relationships examined would make it easier ?

I think it just reads like too many school essays to have any individuality.

All the above I hasten to add is my personal opinion and possibly would be contrary to the views of (say) an economist, rather than a generalist.

This is my personal style really, I know it's dry but it's the best method for transferring information. There are too many "this is what I beleive" posts in the world not enough of these reasoned arguments.

The title of this piece should perhaps have been "The role of trade within International Relations". It does focus on super powers, but it is also applicable where an economy is of a greater order of magnitude than another. If I were to analyse all the trade agreements born of relatively equal economy sizes, I would be writing a book!

As I have said this is a look at the role of trade: hence the failure to define what trade is. I am wary of expanding an article too much because it could grow into a monster I haven't read any school essays on this subject but perhaps there are ones out there. Thanks for replying though :D

This is an interesting take on a difficult issue.

However, its too long and its quite hard to follow in places. I think the subject is too wide to be covered in one article.

I think you should try and cut it by a third and give it a clearer internal structure and focus.

An easy win would be the removal of the mathematical formulae - I don't think these help in explaining your points. The practical examples work much better.

You could then adapt the title to the new focus - perhaps something like "international relations - using trade as a political lever" as this seems to be the main element of your piece?

Putting it in Guide ML would also help a lot as you could then add headers and subheaders.

Post back here if you would like to do this and would like some help.

Sprout

Yeah thanks for the tips.

I could really use some help with the GuideML if your really bored

The "maths" fits in with the standard used by Karl Marx in Capital vol 1. It's like an in-refernce and i'm rather proud of...i'll have to think about removing some of them :D

Hi

On the Guide ML points

Three possible sources of information that I find helpful.

1) Find an edited guide article that looks like what you would like yours to look like. In the address box put test12345 in stead of A12345 or whatver the number is. You'll be able to see how they've written their guide ML and hence copy it.

2) Anything you can't find on someone else's page you can find on A187229.

3) If you switch into Brunel when you edit your piece and then change the format of your entry to Guide ML, it will give you cunning clickable boxes.

Highlight the normal paragraphs (one at a time) and click on paragraph. This will give you tags around them. Then highlight the headings and click on header or subheader. This gives you or .

This will already make a big difference to your article. If you fancy footnotes, or links to other H2G2 articles/other web pages this is also relatively simple.

Good luck with it!

Sprout