Friday, November 4, 2005

Trade Negotiations

While the President is in Argentina to discuss trade issues, it may be an opportune time to discuss trade with your students. Here are some interesting quotes (admittedly all tend to favor free trade) to have your students react to, from a variety of sources.

"Trade is in its nature free, finds its own channel, and best directeth its own course; and all laws to give it rules and directions, and to limit and circumscribe it, may serve the particular ends of private men, but are seldom advantageous to the public." from An Essay on the East India Trade, by Charles D'Avenant

"The philosopher and lover of man have much harm to say of trade; but the historian will see that trade was the principle of Liberty; that trade planted America and destroyed feudalism; that it makes peace and keeps peace; and it will abolish slavery." - Ralph Waldo Emerson -

"No nation was ever ruined by trade." - Benjamin Franklin -

“You may be cajoled into imagining that your own special trade or your own industry will be encouraged by a protective tariff, but it stands to reason that such legislation must, in the long run, keep away wealth from the country, diminish the value of our imports, and lower the general conditions of life in this island.” spoken by Sherlock Holmes in The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle

Submit other quotes you feel are good discussion starters.

Posted by TSchilling at 4:29 PM | Comments (0)

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