Re[2]: [Leica] Re: Eric Lets Cat Out Of Bag

[Peterson_Art@hq.navsea.navy.mil]

     =

     Good economics, Tom!  One may like free market capitalism or not (it=
's =

     hardly perfect!).  But if that is the system, that's the way it HAS =
to =

     work.  Pascal also claimed, "they charge me Western prices...thus on=
ly =

     enhancing their own profit margin."  Regardless of whether that may =
be =

     true, what's wrong with it?  Profit is the "raison d'=EAtre" of busi=
ness =

     and, what's more, its very life blood.  And finally it's NOT true th=
at =

     "He who buys such things...contributes to creating unemployment in h=
is =

     own country or region."  Buying foreign goods puts your domestic mon=
ey =

     in foreign hands; and since money is just paper (or, often today, ju=
st =

     electrons in a computer system), the foreigners will not be happy wi=
th =

     holding it forever, but will want something in exchange for it; and =
so =

     ultimately your domestic money will come back home, because after al=
l, =

     that is ultimately the only place it's good, thereby CREATING domest=
ic =

     jobs (though probably in some OTHER industry than that for which tho=
se =

     domestic consumers originally preferred the foreign competition).
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     Apologies all around, for this gross digression off topic!
     =

     Art Peterson


______________________________ Reply Separator __________________________=
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Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: Eric Lets Cat Out Of Bag
Author:  leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us at internet
Date:    1/25/98 10:47 AM

<< =

 He who buys such things nevertheless, contributes to creating =

 unemployment in his own country or region. Makes me think of the story o=
f =

 the German unemployed steel factory laborer, who complains he's still =

 unemployed but watches Panasonic TV, tapes on Samsung VCR, listens to =

 Kenwood stereo ("engineered in Japan, manufactured in Malaysia"), uses =

 Sony videocamera, drives a Daihatsu or Honda, wears a Philippine made =

 Esprit shirt and Reebok sport shoes (with nice British flags on them but=
 =

 made in Hong Kong), and so on. Get the picture?
  >>
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The picture is that it is an international market.  Non-competitive worke=
rs =

will not have jobs.
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Tom Shea