Free Trade and Globalization failing the working (80%?) class

Thrugelmir

wotsthat wrote: »

The consumer decides.

No, global brands are out to dominate. How many years did it take for Amazon to record a trading profit. It's business model is to squeeze out the competition. The independent retailer. Who cannot compete head on. Once dominance is established then the screw is turned on operating costs. Such as people. The danger for brands is that if publicity goes negative. So does the consumers perception. Hero to villain doesn't take long.

wotsthat

Thrugelmir wrote: »

No, global brands are out to dominate. How many years did it take for Amazon to record a trading profit. It's business model is to squeeze out the competition. The independent retailer. Who cannot compete head on. Once dominance is established then the screw is turned on operating costs. Such as people. The danger for brands is that if publicity goes negative. So does the consumers perception. Hero to villain doesn't take long.

How can you say the consumer doesn't decide when you finish your paragraph by saying they do?

Linton

Thrugelmir wrote: »

No, global brands are out to dominate. How many years did it take for Amazon to record a trading profit. It's business model is to squeeze out the competition. The independent retailer. Who cannot compete head on. Once dominance is established then the screw is turned on operating costs. Such as people. The danger for brands is that if publicity goes negative. So does the consumers perception. Hero to villain doesn't take long.

The brand that dominates is the one chosen by the consumer.

Technology now enables competition on a global level and enables, or perhaps necessitates, manufacturing on a global basis. A relatively small number of factories in China can produce all the Iphones, Ipads, 3D High definition TVs etc etc that the world wants. Giant container ships can move manufactured goods around the world perhaps at less cost per unit than that incurred delivering each of those goods from the shop or local warehouse. Small scale local manufacturers cannot compete.

If people dont want globalisation it's simple, they stop buying the goods. Unfortunately perhaps for the planet and the welfare of society as a whole this seems unlikely to happen. So the issue to be solved is how do we live with globalisation, not how do we stop it.

DiggerUK

From an interesting opening post, what do we get.....a tank fest of confusion, dressed as intellect.

What Trump has succeeded in doing, is galvanising the mob in to an army, that has allowed him to park 'capitalist tanks on imperialist lawns'

Comparisons have been made between Trump and the usual far right suspects. I suggest some swatting up on Peronism as a more fruitful enterprise..._

Thrugelmir

spadoosh wrote: »

Thats very divisive and is exactly the reason we're seeing people vote for brexit and trump.

Yep the voters in the Rustbelt of the USA felt this way en masse.

mwpt

Thrugelmir wrote: »

Globalisation is driven by profit, that benefits the relatively few.

Globalisation has taken more people out of poverty than any protectionist regime ever will. By a long long way.

CLAPTON

mwpt wrote: »

Globalisation has taken more people out of poverty than any protectionist regime ever will. By a long long way.

must be a good reason for recognising the harm that the EU protectionism has done to developing African countries over the last 40 years
and a good reason why we should leave.

doubtless, remainers will have a good reason why EU protectionism is a good thing and will deny the harm it has done, even though they otherwise support free trade.

wotsthat

CLAPTON wrote: »

must be a good reason for recognising the harm that the EU protectionism has done to developing African countries over the last 40 years
and a good reason why we should leave.

doubtless, remainers will have a good reason why EU protectionism is a good thing and will deny the harm it has done, even though they otherwise support free trade.

Trying to turn this into a remain/ leave issue is frankly ridiculous. It was a non-issue for 99.9% of people and if they considered it they might, like me, have concluded Brexit could well lead to less free trade rather than more. I expect the impact of Brexit on African countries to be in a range between negligible and zero. Time will tell I suppose.

I wish the UK had been more engaged in Europe rather than sending in UKIP missionaries to be anti everything. A UK at the heart of Europe actively arguing for more free trade could've made a difference to Africans.

No point wishing for something that never was and never will be though.