sexta-feira, setembro 19, 2003
Manifesto Contra o Protecionismo
O Istituto Bruno Leoni, o Center for the New Europe e a Globalia estão a recolher assinaturas para o seu Manifesto contra o protecionismo.
Awareness of the inefficiency and injustice of customs tariffs has been at the heart of every economic theory since the time of Adam Smith. But in spite of the fact that there are those who talk about "unified liberal thinking", and about ideological myths from which the globalization adventure stems, we still live in a world of barriers and tariffs. The European Union, in particular, although it was born as a common area of free exchange, today imposes 15,000 customs duties against products of various origins. This is a series of economic measures which costs the life of 6,600 people every day in the Third World, as demonstrated by a recent report by the Centre for the New Europe. That means 275 deaths per hour. A man every 13 seconds, somewhere in the world, dies because of excessive protectionism and insufficient globalization. If Africa could increase its world exchange quota by just one per cent, that would yield ? 70 billion more per year -- enough to pull 128 million people out of poverty. Notwithstanding that, and despite the important world trade organization meeting in Cancun, Mexico, here in Italy we hear only voices in favour of limited trade - and those voices are piped through many channels. As a stratagem to reinforce our competitiveness, we have come up with the institution of new anti-Asian tariffs. Instead of applying pressure on the Chinese government for the elimination of import barriers that prevent the entrance of our products, we would like to follow its model and pave the way to a "tariff war" that could preclude us from getting into the largest market in the world. As intellectuals, as entrepreneurs, as politicians - but especially as people - let's say "no" to a policy that endangers the lives of fellow humans and that prohibits Italian consumers form benefiting from good products at a low price. Free exchange is the premise for peace. The 1900s have demonstrated what happens when this or that national selfishness comes first. Our wish is that history does not repeat itself
Para adicionarem o vosso nome a esta petição enviem um mail para: noalprotezionismo@cne.org
posted by Miguel Noronha 5:47 da tarde
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