tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655683135628692725.post3209668919489666527..comments2024-03-29T02:30:11.538-07:00Comments on Mike's Bogota Blog: Colombia Decaffeinated?Miguelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15388030533444193686noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655683135628692725.post-75396139303551689752013-01-27T18:11:47.185-08:002013-01-27T18:11:47.185-08:00Hi Stuart,
I beg to differ. Capitalism is certai...Hi Stuart, <br /><br />I beg to differ. Capitalism is certainly a powerful economic system. However, unrestrained capitalism brings us phenomena such as the Standar Oil monopoly, which is bad for the overall economy, bad for competition and innovation and bad for the company's employees. <br /><b>, </b>, <br />Take nations like Canada or Scandanavia with strong, active governments. They have generally strong economies, high incomes and high qualities of life. Look at nations where the gov't places few restraints on business activities: Russia, Somalia or Paraguay, etc, which are so corrupt or weak that those with money do whatever they like. Those countries have lots of problems, generally poor incomes and low qualities of life except for a powerful few.<br /><b>, </b>, <br />I'm not trying to pick on oil. All commodities tend to feed corruption. Oil just happens to be the biggest commodity of all. <br /><b>, </b>, <br />I am a tremendous hypocrite, by the way. I'm an environmentalist concerned about climate change, yet I have a travel-related business. <br /><b>, </b>,<br />MikeMiguelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15388030533444193686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655683135628692725.post-71554175600934218782013-01-26T04:39:46.811-08:002013-01-26T04:39:46.811-08:00Thanks for your reply. The issue of corruption is ...Thanks for your reply. The issue of corruption is evident wherever money/value flows. Trying to pin in to oil is nonsensical. An economy functions better for all, when it is allowed to function freely and naturally under capitalism (With market pressure being it's only counterbalance). The thing I admire most about you is that, (from what I read) you live by your principals. Avoiding such products and services that cause damage (as you see it) to the environment. But trying to suppress freedom via a bullyboy government out of some sort of nationalism/idealism is something you and I know is of a deeper evil. A free market, is the most democratic of any human system and puts such claim by so called governments to shame. To pretend otherwise is not doing facts or intelligence any favours.Stuart Oswaldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08935995451698556144noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655683135628692725.post-17367415990828179532013-01-25T18:07:57.140-08:002013-01-25T18:07:57.140-08:00Hi Stuart,
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I'm surprised you're not...Hi Stuart, <br /> <b>, </b>, <br />I'm surprised you're not with me on this one. It's not that corruption is linked with "just oil", but oil often contributes to it. There are exceptions, of course, like Canada and Norway, but they're a minority. The Venezuelas, Ecuadors, etc are much more common. This happens because the oil industry generates relatively few paychecks, but huge royalties for the government. And, Stuart, do you believe that the government is honest, efficient at using our money?<br /><b>, </b>, <br />A oil-dependent economies also have over-valued currencies and huge ups and downs with the price of oil. Those characteristics hinder the development of other industries. <br /><b>, </b>, <br />Mike<br /><br />Miguelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15388030533444193686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655683135628692725.post-77958562926102177992013-01-25T18:00:49.800-08:002013-01-25T18:00:49.800-08:00I couldn't agree with you more Richard. Colomb...I couldn't agree with you more Richard. Colombia needs to diversify, particularly by developing manufacturing industries. Preferably clean ones. <br /><br />MikeMiguelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15388030533444193686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655683135628692725.post-54040131637214341392013-01-25T03:25:23.044-08:002013-01-25T03:25:23.044-08:00That Colombia is becoming an Oil/ Mining country i...That Colombia is becoming an Oil/ Mining country is worrying due to the lack of checks and restrictions on the industries, but by the same rationale, Colombia has to diversify its economy and industry away from just Coffee or result in being a northern version of agrarian Argentina.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01731630099745832100noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3655683135628692725.post-19988057120333002872013-01-25T01:58:38.678-08:002013-01-25T01:58:38.678-08:00Colombian coffee growers need to rise to the chall...Colombian coffee growers need to rise to the challenge that others are posing to their trade. As for the comments of corruption in less advanced nations being linked somehow with just oil, that is completely false and wrong of you to form an argument on it.Stuart Oswaldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08935995451698556144noreply@blogger.com