On Mon, 13 Oct 2003 17:15:57 -0700, Ed Patterson wrote:
On Mon, 13 Oct 2003 15:42:03 -0400, Gary Coffman
wrote:
Indeed, there was a time when jingoism overrode good sense. But
the purpose of a corporation is to earn value for its shareholders.
Eventually it has to do that, or it will cease to exist, its shareholders
will have lost their investments, its workers will be unemployed, and
who benefits from that?

The purpose of a government is to protect its citizens. Eventually it
has to do that, or it will cease to exist, its citizens will have lost
their investments, the leaders will be terminated and who benefits
from that?

The purpose of government is to protect its citizens, but at least in
non-socialist nations that doesn't include "protecting" them from
choosing with whom they do business. In the US, we have the
right to *pursue* happiness, we don't have a right to have it handed
to us by government.

Now if you take the position that you have a right to a captive market,
and government must crush all competitors for you to ensure that
protectionist position, then you'd have a case for government stepping
in and using coercive force on your behalf against foreign companies.
I tend to disagree with that position.

Gary