response to artical on 15% tarrif proposal to bag manufacturing in China
The question needs to be asked: will the proposed 15% tariff reduce work opportunities for the population (in other words, will this margin of difference mean the loss of significant market-share in the intnl. plastic bag industry) or are we really talking about the business interests of companies who simply want to pay as little as possible and will use any sophistry necessary to further that end.
By definition any politician beholden to a business interest (read: most all politicians) and any business person beholden to stock-holders (read: most all business-persons) are likely to argue against tariffs in such a case.
The other question to be asked: if by adding the tariffs, China really looses it’s competitive edge in this area of the market- is there some reason China should be given such an edge as a boon and to the detriment of the environment? I can’t think of none- but then I really don’t have all the facts- I just ask the questions.
I mean- there are people that need jobs everywhere in the world and many of them would as soon produce plastic bags. I don’t suppose China has the monopoly on people willing to manufacture bags in order to avoid starvation.
I am troubled by the prospect of corporate interests masquerading as proletarian interests. I am concerned that this may be what we are dealing with in this case…