I have just watched the excellent Alex Singleton on the London News, speaking on behalf of the Adam Smith Institute in a head to head on the subject of Fair Trade. It seems that London Boroughs are being encouraged to promote FairTrade™ products to their residents. As Alex pointed out, there are some problems with the FairTrade™ model that mean it may do more harm than good. For example, farmers are encouraged to form co-operatives and so individual owner occupation of farms is discouraged.

While I fully accept the economic and moral argument that free trade is superior to “Fair trade” and Alex did well to avoid being painted as some sort of nasty Tory, I can’t help thinking that there may be a better way to play this than simply attacking “Fair Trade”.

True, they are wrong, misguided and damaging in aspects of their implementation. However, I think we free-marketeers should start any debate on this subject by welcoming the fact that both we and the FairTrade movement share a passion for the unequalled potential of international trade to lift poor people out of poverty and improve living standards all round. Adam Smith wrote of the “invisible hand” raising the general welfare of people but perhaps now his message is so well spread that the hand is no longer invisible. We know that doing business does good – the thing that is exciting about this is that now some people are trying to do good by doing business.

OK, so these people don’t have a high regard for the scruples of regular businessmen but there are a hell of a lot of far worse things they could be doing than promoting trade with the Third World – opposing trade, for one. The point we should be making is that the Fair Trade supporters have their hearts in the right place but the way the movement works needs fixing.

In going beyond good honest trade with poor farmers, the FairTrade(m) movement is using their purchasing power as rich Westerners to pursue their own agendas. It is a sort of cultural imperialism. Western lefties might think poor farmers need to be guided down the route of collective farming and using the extra money they get from FairTrade™ for building “schoolsnhospitalz.” The farmers might have other priorities and who are we to say otherwise.

It is free trade and not the fair Trade movement that really respects the dignity and autonomy of the poor of the world.

This piece in the Telegraph is pure ignorance wrapped up in a pretentious column in daily newspaper. There are so many holes in this piece its priceless. The author knows nothing about video games and doesn’t care that she is prattling about which she has no clue. The comments are heated and harsh…

They are completely justified. How this load of rubbish got through the editors at the DT is beyond me. Its brings shame on the newspaper and is more suited for the Daily Mail or the Sun than a quality newspaper.

read more | digg story

It seems it shocks psychologists that post-7/7 Londoners are paranoid on the Tube. How dare they be worried about being blown to smithereens deep in the bowels of the London underground system? I would be more worried if people weren’t slightly concerned when they used to the Tube.

read more | digg story

Debbie reports that the US Olympic louts are leeching off the city of Colorado Springs. As per normal for jocks its for large amounts of taxpayers money; using blackmail to get as much out of the town or city as possible. Now sports teams have done this in the US and the UK for years; relying on the egos of politicians to make everyone pay for their profession.

What irks me is that jocks are so spineless when its comes to things like China’s treatment of Tibet. They claim to be “just athletes and not politicians.” Suffering of millions of people is nothing compared to their “right” to compete in the Olympics. However whenever they can find a way to leech taxpayer funds out of governments they suddenly get political.

I wonder how many of the legion of Olympic types so keen on London getting 2012 actually live in London. I am wiling to bet almost all of them live in the provinces and as such are not paying one farthing towards the cost of their giant jock-fest on 2012. The entire Olympic process is so corrupt it would make Mugabe seems honest.

Like the arts; sports should not be supported by the state for one penny. If jocks and their teams can support themselves via the private sector like every other endeavor then they should not be doing it.

I would say I am boycotting the upcoming Olympics but its kind of pointless. I have far better things to do than waste my time watching a bunch of drug-enhanced ponces running around acting as if what they do matters.

Update: There are some hearty people protesting the Torch relay through London today. Well done to them, shame on all the cretins who are running the symbol of corruption, waste and empowering of totalitarian regimes around London.

Needless to say all the nitwits are saying they doing it “for sport” not “for China.”

Food stamps are the symbol of poverty in the US. In the era of the credit crunch, a record 28 million Americans are now relying on them to survive – a sure sign the world’s richest country faces economic crisis.

In a piece which is pretty much complete bollocks the Independent is trying to convince its readers the US is in a depression. Full of distortions and hystrionics its a typical piece of the Indy’s gutter journalism. And here is a bit of pause for thought. If the ole adage “the US gets a sniffle, the UK gets the flu” is accurate then the UK is well & truly stuffed. Is this just the Indy’s way of calling for more socialism from the Brown government or is it just another good bash at the US?

I wonder if they have had a gander at the inflation rates in the UK. The real inflation rather than the farsical 2.5% claimed by the government. Transportation, for example, has gone up over 15% in the last year. Food costs are skyrocketing. My last shop which included no meat or booze cost 50 without even trying.

read more | digg story

Oh there is more news. The picture in the paper is a lie as its off people standing in line for free coats and, of course, the article has nothing to do with depression, but food stamps.

Everyone knows the First Amendment protects freedom of religion, speech, press and assembly. How many remember that, in addition, the First Amendment protects a fifth freedom—to lobby?

I like Krauthammer I do not understand the penchant for some to loath lobbying. I have always believed it was a reasonable part of the political discourse. I find the attacks on lobbying deeply disturbing and undemocratic.

read more | digg story

Cool article about video game movies – and some info on the upcoming Max Payne film.

I have made a habit of watching game to movie titles just for a laugh. As the article states almost all of them have been pretty dire. The bar is not set terribly high it has to be said. We shall see whether they can take the great game that was Max Payne and make it a good film. Speaking of which I rather hope Hitman makes it onto iTunes. I am curious to see after hearing all the mixed reviews.

read more | digg story