Liberty Alone

lightbulb protectionism

So, having said that incandescent bulbs should be replaced with energy saving bulbs, the EU commission, or more specifically Peter Mandelson, has given into industry pressure to keep tariffs on cheaper imported energy saving bulbs meaning that energy saving light bulbs will continue to be more expensive than they need to be for at least another year to preserve the profits of Osram.

What a great way to help the environment guys. Discouraging people from using less energy is a great way to go about things.

Next they’ll decide that blacking out the sun is a good idea as its unfair competition for the light bulb manufacturers. I think people should be sending the commissioner copies of Bastiat’s Petition of the Candle Makers…

Update:
You can find the commissioner’s contact details here. I do encourage people to contact him.

Following on from the previous quotation, the same letter goes on to discuss Queen Elizabeth’s actions in declaring patents given null and void at the request of the lower house:

But whereas great complaints were made in the lower house, relating to the engrossing practice:

(for it seems there were some, who, under the colour of publick good, but, in reality, to the great damage of the kingdom, had got the Queen’s letters patents, for the sole privilege and liberty of vending some sorts of wares)

Cato’s letter number 8 - Thomas Gordon

Engrossing was the practice of getting a legally enforced monopoly in order to extract higher prices from the customer.

Some things really don’t change.

There’s been a little lunacy emanating from the Welsh Liberal Democrats recently, but this really takes the biscuit.

This is basically a call for tariffs and protectionism. Its a call for putting the interests of farmers over those of everyone else.

Farmers already gains from obscene tariffs and the inhuman Common Agriculture Policy which sees $1200 a year taken from the pockets of a 2 child family to spend on farming and around $20 billion in losses a year from the developing world - far more than we spend on aid.

This goes to give each cow in the EU $2.50 a day - when billions of people struggle to live on under $2 a day.

This is obscene.

Now we’re told that the farmers cannot cope and need more help, now dressed up as ‘fair trade’ (remember, free trade is the only fair trade).

If they cannot survive with the obscene level of support they already have then frankly what are they doing in the business?

I’m sure people will complain about the job losses - but its not liberalisation which causes them, its the protectionism which encourages stasis and protects from the competition which breeds progress and success.

The Liberal Democrats are meant to be a party of free trade, a party of the individual and the masses against the classes. Not a lobby group for today’s high profile campaign.

As for British farmers being labeled ‘Fair Trade’. If the Fair Trade group lets them then fine, they can apply and be approved or not.
If they can’t, then develop their own branding. See if you can get people to pay a premium for that. That’s all fine, but it is not the politician’s place to support that.

Update:
The hypocrisy of this still rankles.
Why is Fair Trade seen as neeed? Because the developed world is deliberately pursuing protectionist policies designed to remove the developing world’s comparative advantage and means to develop and get out of poverty.