Feb 24, 2009

Zedillo's weird proposal

I am a bit puzzled by Ernesto Zedillo's proposal. Tonite at the CTEI conference he suggested countries should legally retaliate against each other right now in order to avoid a future trade war! He said this would be horrible but effective as only then countries would understand the dangers of their actions. But retaliating for free trade sounds like bombing for peace, or f*&$ing for virginity...I still think free trade, as democracy, is best taught by example, not by war! And carrots always work better than sticks...

He's still an inspiration for us...after his PhD in economics at Yale, he went on to become President of Mexico (1994-2000) and set his country on the democracy and growth path...

3 comments:

Pierre-Louis said...

OK Im making a comment about my own post becuz I think I may have not been clear enough about one thing. Protectionism is on the rise due to crisis (see this for an explanation of its dangers and what to do about it and the forthcoming Vox column by our own Elisa for examples of recent protectionist measures...

Dany Jaimovich - Bakary Baludin said...

Zedillo speech was a complete disappointment. He is a fundamentalist free trader that is preaching multilateralism dismissing the bad consequences of trade openness (that can be less than the benefits, but are still there) and promoting that finishing Doha round is a magic solution to everything.

About PL comment of "set his country on the democracy and growth path"... :/ where did you read that? is true that he help in the transition of 70 years of domination of the PRI, but the new party in office (PAN) is not too different, the electoral system is still very undemocratic, the country is divided by the reign of Narcos in the North and the Zapatists and Oaxaca revolutionaries in the South. Mexico City is one of the coolest cities in the world, but the life there is a pain for the 15 millions that do not live in the super chic neighborhoods of La Condesa or Polanco.

Well, but true, he did some better things that his former colleagues. Just one thing a respect deeply in him, his family was very poor, and everything he accomplish was by his own effort, not for been part of the mexican elite that still is sovereign and almighty in this beloved country....

Pierre-Louis said...

Mexico is probably the most vibrant democracy I know...and I didnt read that anywhere...while drug lords do control the north,teh same cannot be said of the revolutionaries in the south...

and Mexico city is not only about a select club of super rich...there are many people who live in slums but still the middle class is dominant and growing since 1994...the country is doing great and would be doing even greater if the US wasn't creating this drug war...