ACORN

[eppie]

Workers in industrial nations are many more times productive than workers in developing countries. The manpower cost is thus about the same for the two.

Most industrial countries have stringent environmental laws. Most developing countries do not. Part of their cheapness comes from destroying the environment for all.

Most industrial countries have stringent worker safety laws. Most developing countries do not. Part of their cheapness comes from destroying their citizens.

Most industrial countries have stringent consumer protection laws (that keep children's toys from being painted with lead based paints, keep pet food from being augmented with anti-freeze (or whatever), etc.) Most developing countries do not. Part of their cheapness comes from destroying their customers.

This is of course overly simplified. So simplified that it is just wrong. OK, all your points have an effect, but a very small one. The country you had in the back of your mind when writing this was China.
And than point one is in the case just plain wrong, while the other points are true but only have a marginal effect on the price of a product, the main factor is of course the wages which can be factors lower.

Africa is a whole different case. The economies there are so far backwards that you cannot even compare them with ours. And even when you consider workers safety etc. etc. we are still not giving them a fair chance (agriculture subsidies being the major culprit here).

People are stupid and selfish. So, they'll buy the cheapest without considering the 'external' costs. If the costs to protect the environment, the workers, and the consumers were added to the price of things made in developing countries, those items would be more expensive than those made in the industrial nations.

And people in the Sahel are so worried about these things that the will chose french grain to satisfy their daily caloric needs.

You and eppie are doing me a world of good. I thought the USA was sliding into the toilet. The two of you reassure me that we aren't alone.

--Pete

That is great to hear. It was about time that you got an idea about how people think outside county property.