"Robert Seago" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> Jim Webster > wrote:
>
>> > 'Localism and Its Enemies
>> > Posted by David Bollier on Fri, 03/07/2008 - 11:48am
>
>> pity you cannot answer in your own words, don't you have your own ideas
>> or opinions?
>
> There are some points that should be addressed. That may be the USA but
> they do like to maintain protection of their own, while keeping out
> competition.

the US has strong phytosanitary regulations. It has to be admitted that
some, (the New Zealanders for example) are of the opinion that these
regulations are trade distorting on purpose, but it also has to be admitted
that their regulations have kept FMD out a damned sight better than ours
have

>
> Bananas in the Carribean are another example.

It was once explained to me that the import quotas for Carribean bananas was
a political decision in Europe, in that we didn't want to leave the
Carribean to be divided up between the US and Cuba. It is just so much
easier to dress up as 'AID' and give it some sort of moral legitimacy.
It isn't a stance I agree with, but I would be very wary of getting on too
high a horse over this issue.

Jim Webster