Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Free Trade For Me, Restrictions For You

I have been in the retail business for 15 years or so and I am still waiting for a customer to offer me more than the asking price. And home sellers will never propose a counter-offer that is less than the buyers original offer.

It is undeniable that people wish to buy at the lowest possible price and sell at the highest possible price. This is human nature and it makes no difference whether you area liberal or a conservative.

On the other hand, it is also true some want free trade for themselves but trade restrictions or regulations on others. They want to buy low and sell high for themselves but also force others, via government, to buy high and sell low.

Examples. The minimum wage forces some to buy labor at artificially high prices. Universal health care forces health care prices down for the buyer, or rather the receiver, of the service. Public education eliminates the cost of education entirely for some. Trade unions lock competitors out of job opportunities, which forces others to pay a higher price for labor.

Free trade for me. Restrictions for others. If this not hypocrisy, what is it?

1 comment:

Caledonication said...

Duplicity?