Re: [spiers] Consignment vs Final Sales
***I would keep redesigning until I got products that would work in the regular
market, in which consignment is never an option.***
You bet John. That's what I am thinking too.
Dan, the trick is to introduce new and better, based on a problem you
experience in a field you love... so tell us what that is...
Currently it is a wooden craft field that I am having problem with and plan to
go to other material based crafts either. When the customer told me to sell my
items on consignment, I think there must be something that they don't like. I
need to improve the designs and come back again later. Thanks for the heads up.
Dan
John Spiers
On Tue, 28 Mar 2006 14:26:36 -0800 (PST), Daniel Purwadi
wrote :
> To all fellow small business owners,
>
> I'm wholesaling gift and craft stuff made of any kind of materials. When
dealing with
customers, sometimes I found many of them only selling goods on consignment
basis and
are not willing to buy. Does anyone ever have such experience? Should we
disregard these
kinda customers and focus to those willing to buy only?
***I would keep redesigning until I got products that would work in the regular
market, in
which consignment is never an option.***
>
> I agree with John's concept to never have inventory without orders on hands.
What should
we do to make them willing to buy? How about if it is a big store? Any thought
is greatly
appreciated. Thank you.
>
Dan, the trick is to introduce new and better, based on a problem you experience
in a field
you love... so tell us what that is...
John
Compete on Design!
www.johnspiers.com
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Consignment vs Final Sales
accounting packages
I like MYOB available at MYOB.com... they have both pc and mac versions..and
their basic versions
are fine to start... get a trial copy and play with it to see if you like it...
John
On Wed, 29 Mar 2006 10:09:29 -0600, "sudhakar gadkari"
wrote :
> John,
> Can you recomend me a simple but efficient software for accounting purposes?
> Sudha
>
>
>
>
> Compete on Design!
>
> www.johnspiers.com
No Subject
RE: [spiers] (unknown)
Have a look at Quicken Basic. It is simple and easy to use. If you
don't invoice a lot, it is probably the best one. With more involved
bookkeeping you can get Quick Books Pro. It has the invoice functions,
but is more complicated.
Sheila
Sheila Lawrence, SRES
By the way, if you know of someone who would appreciate my services,
please call me with their name and address and I will be happy to help
them.
________________________________________________________________________
______________
Coldwell Banker
101 Morris Street, #100
Sebastopol, CA 95472
(707) 829-7493 PH
(707) 823-9159 FX
-----Original Message-----
From: spiers@yahoogroups.com [mailto:spiers@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf
Of sudhakar gadkari
Sent: Wednesday, March 29, 2006 8:09 AM
To: spiers@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [spiers] (unknown)
John,
Can you recomend me a simple but efficient software for accounting
purposes?
Sudha
Compete on Design!
www.johnspiers.com
Thinking about Dope
Re: [spiers] Thinking about Dope
Very thought provoking dialogue. I am a fan of Thoreau and his quote set the
stage. One thing I've learned as well as many have, is to never say never. May
not happen in your life time, however, that doesn't mean it will never happen,
as history has shown. I like to think our societies will evolve to a more
responsible state of being. One can argue that it never happen, but what one
means to say, is he/she won't live long enough to see if it in deed does happen.
Again thanks for sharing the thought provoking morning wake up dialogue.
Manny
-----Original Message-----
From: John Spiers
To: spiers@yahoogroups.com
Sent: 28 Mar 2006 18:11:23 -0000
Subject: [spiers] Thinking about Dope
Folks,
Just read a rehash of the argument for legalizing dope, which is one of those
arguments that
never goes anywhere. I think the reason the arguments are stillborn is they do
not get the
premise right.
http://www.strike-the-root.com/61/victor/victor1.html
All substance abuse is self-medication for pain control. Whether some kid on
the res is
sniffing glue or some 40 year old lawyer is tooting coke, or some college
professor has gone
slothful over a monster marijuana habit, it all starts with some sort of pain.
Yes, some people do dope for kicks, but even then, isn't there a fundamental
problem, some
sort of pain in the way of happiness that dope helps overcome?
In these instances it is a psychological pain, but sometimes that can be the
worst kind. In the
measure the fraudulent Freudian psychological theories crowded out any
advancement in
treating psychological problems, indeed, smothered traditional help, in that
measure
psychological pain goes untreated.
Of course, there is also the problem of people with a chronic pain from a knee
injury or
something that comes and goes, which mystifies the doctors and thus causes some
doubt as
to the patient's motivations.
And yes, there are wicked dope dealers trading in illegal drugs, but why is
that? Well, of
course, some people will do anything for money.
In USA we strictly limit how many professors can teach medicine, we strictly
limit how many
people get into medical school. This naturally raises the cost of medicine, by
limiting access,
lowers quality overall, and stifles innovation.
In USA the specialities of palliative care and pain management are so harshly
regulated,
doctors err on the side of letting pain fester, or using less than ideal drugs
to manage pain in
"legal" settings.
Since many who experience pain cannot get access to preventative care, or cannot
afford pain
care, self-medication becomes an option. Like everything else, we pay the most
in USA for
medicines, and it is relatively easier and cheaper to buy illegal drugs than
legal drugs.
As any high school kid can tell you, any dope you want is fairly easy to get.
Those who choose to self-medicate do so without the care of doctors and
pharmacists, which
are in short supply due to subsidies and regulations. Self-medicators people
tend to be
completely ignorant of chemistry and medicine, and tend to overdose themselves.
All
Americans believe if a little bit is good, then a whole bunch is better.
Crackheads are
Americans too.
The fellow with the argument above compares dope prohibition to alcohol
prohibition. They
are too simiilar to compare (indeed, although I consider beer and wine food, I
consider hard
liquor medicine).
It is better to compare dope to salt. In the history of mankind, there has
almost never been
prohibition on dope, but almost always on salt. Why salt? Well, controlling
salt means
controlling people. By controlling who gets salt, you can fine tune control of
certain groups
as well. You can pick and choose who you want to control, and how you want to
control them.
Job #1 of every empire was to nail down the salt trade.
Mahatma Gandhi's big crime, the one that sent the British over the edge, was to
march to the
sea and pick up a piece of salt. Such a crime!
Every bit of criminality, savagery and butchery we see in illegal drug trade has
been true
historically of the illegal salt trade too. Of course, "salt" or "dope' is
irrelevent, the issue is
control, libido dominandi.
"Decriminalizing" the drug trade is a misnomer. How about "uncriminalizing",
since
alleviating pain is not a crime in natural law. But uncriminilizing would not
be enough. We'd
have to break the monopoly on medicine and deregulate medicine in usa so that,
like salt, it
would become cheaper, safer, more choices and more universally available.
Salt was controlled to control everyone. Drugs are controlled to control just
some people,
necessarily the more poor you are in USA, the more likley you are going to run
afoul of the
war on people in pain, aka the war on drugs.
The argument that we need government intervention in medicine for safety does
not hold
water, since at least three people have won nobel prizes demonstrating how the
regulated
always capture the regulators (think big drug and the FDA). I have myself, my
doctor, my
pharmacist, the drug companies, each of us also backed up by insurance companies
to
assure safety. We need an FDA too? I think not. They lower quality, restrict
access, raise
prices and stymie innovation.
Remember when we all believed that unless we had an optometrist handle our
glasses we'd
all go blind, and what a tragedy it was when someone lost his glasses? This too
changed
circa 1980, my hero Jimmy Carter at it again. As he freed the beer, so too he
freed reading
glasses. Now you can pick up a pair of glasses while waiiting in the check out
line at Walmart,
with a vision-check chart built into the display, 1.25, 1.5, 1.75 etc, $4 the
pair!
The other argument is access, the theory the government assures everyone gets
access to
medicine. Well, two problems with that. The government cannot achieve the more
better
cheaper faster that free markets offer, and when government defines 'health
care' they
usually get the definition wrong, since the definition is hammered out by a few
hundred
government workers, not billions of daily transactions in the free market. The
free market
creates the best definitions.
There is no point in uncriminalizing drug trade unless you uncriminalize the
free market in
medicine and pharmacy. That is not going to happen, so working around it,
getting the ill to
the medicine instead of the medicine to the ill will the the norm, at least in
USA.
John
Compete on Design!
www.johnspiers.com
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Consignment vs Final Sales
RE: [spiers] Consignment vs Final Sales
As a small business owner, when I decide to carry an item on
consignment, it is usually because I am not so sure that the item will
sell, the cost is too high for me to put out of pocket, or I am just
appeasing a pushy salesperson.
As a small boutique owner, I rarely sell anything that I am not able to
take the price and multiply it by 3 or 4. So, when a person wants me to
give them half of the sales price, I simply will not carry that item.
I hope that helps you in figuring out your question.
Sincerely,
Brenda
-----Original Message-----
From: spiers@yahoogroups.com [mailto:spiers@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf
Of Daniel Purwadi
Sent: 03/28/2006 5:27 PM
To: spiers@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [spiers] Consignment vs Final Sales
To all fellow small business owners,
I'm wholesaling gift and craft stuff made of any kind of materials.
When dealing with customers, sometimes I found many of them only selling
goods on consignment basis and are not willing to buy. Does anyone ever
have such experience? Should we disregard these kinda customers and
focus to those willing to buy only? What's the fair rate for consignment
sales in gift and craft industry?
I agree with John's concept to never have inventory without orders on
hands. What should we do to make them willing to buy? How about if it is
a big store? Any thought is greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Dan
Consignment vs Final Sales
Re: [spiers] Consignment vs Final Sales
On Tue, 28 Mar 2006 14:26:36 -0800 (PST), Daniel Purwadi
wrote :
> To all fellow small business owners,
>
> I'm wholesaling gift and craft stuff made of any kind of materials. When
dealing with
customers, sometimes I found many of them only selling goods on consignment
basis and
are not willing to buy. Does anyone ever have such experience? Should we
disregard these
kinda customers and focus to those willing to buy only?
***I would keep redesigning until I got products that would work in the regular
market, in
which consignment is never an option.***
>
> I agree with John's concept to never have inventory without orders on hands.
What should
we do to make them willing to buy? How about if it is a big store? Any thought
is greatly
appreciated. Thank you.
>
Dan, the trick is to introduce new and better, based on a problem you experience
in a field
you love... so tell us what that is...
John
Consignment vs Final Sales
Re: [spiers] Consignment vs Final Sales
----- Original Message -----
From: "Daniel Purwadi"
> I'm wholesaling gift and craft stuff made of any kind of materials. When
> dealing with customers, sometimes I found many of them only selling goods
> on consignment basis and are not willing to buy. Does anyone ever have
> such experience? Should we disregard these kinda customers and focus to
> those willing to buy only? What's the fair rate for consignment sales in
> gift and craft industry?
Daniel,
You will go broke consigning merchandise to multiple stores. You will have
collection problems, bookkeeping nightmares, lower sales, and other
problems. Not to mention tying up cash in their inventory. IMHO these are
not a REAL gift businesses if they only do consignment. Rarely does such an
arrangement work out -- EXCEPT when you have a long history with the
reliability of that business, and the purpose is primarily to market
overstocks, discontinued, and other odds and ends.
Right now we have a store that stiffed us for $3400 from the holidays, when
we had excess inventory, and after several months, we have collected all but
the last $1000, and this is without charging interest or fees, etc.
Note that if a customer is in their store, is the owner going to do a better
job of selling the products they already own/purchased? Or your consignment
goods? Think about it from the store owner's cash flow position.
If you do consign, there is a negotiated rate issue. For the couple of
accounts we still use this way, we:
A) Pre-price goods at keystone, or double the normal wholesale price (taking
into account psychological pricing, e.g. wholesale is $10, retail price is
$19.95 rather than $20).
B) If they do all the merchandising, etc and we just drop stuff off, we let
them keep 30 to 35%. (The difference of 15 to 20% from normal wholesaling is
the cost of money, and risk of no sale, product obsolescence, etc)
C) If some merchandizing/rack jobbing is required on our part, more like 25%
is their share.
D) Have a written agreement where they are responsible for shrinkage (shop
lifting and employee theft), plus other terms such as what dates they will
pay and how often, how sales records are kept, how often physical
inventories (done by you) will be matched against sales reports, venue for
legal action in case of dispute, interest on unpaid balances, etc etc etc.
E) All changes in inventory (whether left or removed) require a signed,
itemized sheet for the store personnel.
Good luck. But as the voice of experience... DON'T!
In rare occasions, I've heard of someone consigning products to a store, and
if they liked it, would inventory via regular purchasing. In our experience,
a better sales incentive is to offer a qualified repurchase guarantee on
first orders, etc. But again, I would not do this unless I absolutely had to
and was pretty sure the products would sell.
Malcolm Dell
Thinking about Dope
Folks,
Just read a rehash of the argument for legalizing dope, which is one of those
arguments that
never goes anywhere. I think the reason the arguments are stillborn is they do
not get the
premise right.
http://www.strike-the-root.com/61/victor/victor1.html
All substance abuse is self-medication for pain control. Whether some kid on
the res is
sniffing glue or some 40 year old lawyer is tooting coke, or some college
professor has gone
slothful over a monster marijuana habit, it all starts with some sort of pain.
Yes, some people do dope for kicks, but even then, isn’t there a fundamental
problem, some
sort of pain in the way of happiness that dope helps overcome?
In these instances it is a psychological pain, but sometimes that can be the
worst kind. In the
measure the fraudulent Freudian psychological theories crowded out any
advancement in
treating psychological problems, indeed, smothered traditional help, in that
measure
psychological pain goes untreated.
Of course, there is also the problem of people with a chronic pain from a knee
injury or
something that comes and goes, which mystifies the doctors and thus causes some
doubt as
to the patient’s motivations.
And yes, there are wicked dope dealers trading in illegal drugs, but why is
that? Well, of
course, some people will do anything for money.
In USA we strictly limit how many professors can teach medicine, we strictly
limit how many
people get into medical school. This naturally raises the cost of medicine, by
limiting access,
lowers quality overall, and stifles innovation.
In USA the specialities of palliative care and pain management are so harshly
regulated,
doctors err on the side of letting pain fester, or using less than ideal drugs
to manage pain in
“legal” settings.
Since many who experience pain cannot get access to preventative care, or cannot
afford pain
care, self-medication becomes an option. Like everything else, we pay the most
in USA for
medicines, and it is relatively easier and cheaper to buy illegal drugs than
legal drugs.
As any high school kid can tell you, any dope you want is fairly easy to get.
Those who choose to self-medicate do so without the care of doctors and
pharmacists, which
are in short supply due to subsidies and regulations. Self-medicators people
tend to be
completely ignorant of chemistry and medicine, and tend to overdose themselves.
All
Americans believe if a little bit is good, then a whole bunch is better.
Crackheads are
Americans too.
The fellow with the argument above compares dope prohibition to alcohol
prohibition. They
are too simiilar to compare (indeed, although I consider beer and wine food, I
consider hard
liquor medicine).
It is better to compare dope to salt. In the history of mankind, there has
almost never been
prohibition on dope, but almost always on salt. Why salt? Well, controlling
salt means
controlling people. By controlling who gets salt, you can fine tune control of
certain groups
as well. You can pick and choose who you want to control, and how you want to
control them.
Job #1 of every empire was to nail down the salt trade.
Mahatma Gandhi’s big crime, the one that sent the British over the edge, was to
march to the
sea and pick up a piece of salt. Such a crime!
Every bit of criminality, savagery and butchery we see in illegal drug trade has
been true
historically of the illegal salt trade too. Of course, "salt" or "dope' is
irrelevent, the issue is
control, libido dominandi.
“Decriminalizing” the drug trade is a misnomer. How about “uncriminalizing”,
since
alleviating pain is not a crime in natural law. But uncriminilizing would not
be enough. We’d
have to break the monopoly on medicine and deregulate medicine in usa so that,
like salt, it
would become cheaper, safer, more choices and more universally available.
Salt was controlled to control everyone. Drugs are controlled to control just
some people,
necessarily the more poor you are in USA, the more likley you are going to run
afoul of the
war on people in pain, aka the war on drugs.
The argument that we need government intervention in medicine for safety does
not hold
water, since at least three people have won nobel prizes demonstrating how the
regulated
always capture the regulators (think big drug and the FDA). I have myself, my
doctor, my
pharmacist, the drug companies, each of us also backed up by insurance companies
to
assure safety. We need an FDA too? I think not. They lower quality, restrict
access, raise
prices and stymie innovation.
Remember when we all believed that unless we had an optometrist handle our
glasses we’d
all go blind, and what a tragedy it was when someone lost his glasses? This too
changed
circa 1980, my hero Jimmy Carter at it again. As he freed the beer, so too he
freed reading
glasses. Now you can pick up a pair of glasses while waiting in the check out
line at Walmart,
with a vision-check chart built into the display, 1.25, 1.5, 1.75 etc, $4 the
pair!
The other argument is access, the theory the government assures everyone gets
access to
medicine. Well, two problems with that. The government cannot achieve the more
better
cheaper faster that free markets offer, and when government defines ‘health
care’ they
usually get the definition wrong, since the definition is hammered out by a few
hundred
government workers, not billions of daily transactions in the free market. The
free market
creates the best definitions.
There is no point in uncriminalizing drug trade unless you uncriminalize the
free market in
medicine and pharmacy. That is not going to happen, so working around it,
getting the ill to
the medicine instead of the medicine to the ill will the the norm, at least in
USA.
John
Consignment vs Final Sales
To all fellow small business owners,
I'm wholesaling gift and craft stuff made of any kind of materials. When
dealing with customers, sometimes I found many of them only selling goods on
consignment basis and are not willing to buy. Does anyone ever have such
experience? Should we disregard these kinda customers and focus to those willing
to buy only? What's the fair rate for consignment sales in gift and craft
industry?
I agree with John's concept to never have inventory without orders on hands.
What should we do to make them willing to buy? How about if it is a big store?
Any thought is greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Dan
Monday, March 27, 2006
China and Currency
Customs Brokers License - do I need one? and other questions. thanks
Hi John,
I took your class last summer. I'm interested in importing and exporting (US
and China). I still haven't taken any real action towards my dream. Most of it
is just researching and accumulating ideas. I understand that the
freighforwarding companies will usually take care of customs-related papers and
docs etc...I'm actually interested in being licensed as a customs broker just
so that I can get a better understanding of the whole processs. Do you think
it's necessary at all?
Also, if I want to test selling a small batch of, say, apparel here to
boutiques here or online, can't I just buy a batch in China and ship it via the
post office. Does that save me a lot of hassle? I know my question may sound
silly. I guess I just want to "play" with my biz idea on a very small
scale/batch without having to go through every step in the regular importing
process. Basically I'm imagining a scenario where I can buy cheap in China or
whereever (cash transaction), then sell here at a higher price that can cover
the shipment cost (post office???), and through which I gain some really
experience. I'm too afraid of lauching everything at the first try.
Thank you so much for your valuable advice and comments in advance!
Lily
--- John Spiers
> The phrase has an interesting history, actually coming out of the Truman
> administration, just
> that the hapless Earl butz was caught on tape saying it, doing for Nixon what
> Sec. of the
> Interior James Watt did for Reagan, always managing to give the game away.
>
> Anyway, big business and big government go hand in hand, what with the
> advantages and
> efficiencies imagined in collectivization and harmonization. When it comes
> to collectivist,
> socialist impulses, the democrats simply do not have the chutzpah of the
> republicans.
>
> John
> On Fri, 24 Mar 2006 13:24:41 -0800 (PST), M A Granich
> wrote :
>
> > What is the motive behind "get big or get out"? You
> > said it was from the Nixon administration. What were
> > they or are they attempting to do? Monopolize the ag
> > markets?
> >
> > Anthony
> > --- spiersegroups
> >
> > > GRP,
> > >
> > > Let me be clear, I am against either and both items
> > > from being exported in the
> > > measure they are subsidized or otherwise protected.
> > >
> > > I have no problem with a farmer in Ghana getting
> > > subsidized rice cheap from usa,
> > > allowing his fields to go fallow, and turning a
> > > profit by selling USA rice to Ghanains,
> > > until the USA taxpayers cry "enough" and we stop.
> > > Then the same Ghanain farmer
> > > resumes selling what he grows. This is non-violent
> > > self-defense.
> > >
> > > But this is not what happens. The US Government
> > > policy of "get big or get out"
> > > extends overseas as well. The Ghanaians who go to
> > > Harvard and receive Harvard
> > > MBA's return to Ghana (or whatever country) and
> > > enter leading buisiness or
> > > government ministries. The set up a system that
> > > allows them to buy from and work
> > > with the USA Harvard MBA's employed at Archer
> > > Daniels Midlands the "supermarket to
> > > the world." and in USA government ministries. The
> > > Ghanaian farmer cannot get a
> > > license to import rice. He is taxed into oblivion
> > > to assure he cannot compete with usa
> > > rice, which is untaxed. These Harvard MBA's charge
> > > a super premium to effect
> > > polcies and actions that break the USA small farmer
> > > and the Ghanaian small farmer.
> > > The USA small farmer gets some welfare. The
> > > Ghanaian farmer gets nothing. With
> > > kids going hungry, many farmers choose the armed
> > > response. (of course you can
> > > substitute any number of exported items, countries,
> > > and schools, but the general
> > > system is essentially the same).
> > >
> > > So we agree, all subsidize cause direct harm, all
> > > restrictions are violent. I am against
> > > it.
> > >
> > > John
> > > --- In spiers@yahoogroups.com, grmail@... wrote:
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Exports can be good or bad too... do we export
> > > things we made or raw
> > > > > materials... of the
> > > > > things we made, are the consumer goods or are
> > > they machinery and
> > > > > equipment? Exporting
> > > > > shoes is good, excporting a shoe-making machine
> > > is bad becuase its value,
> > > > > the ability to
> > > > > make shoes, is exported. Exporting subsidized
> > > goods is very bad indeed.
> > > > > Subsidies,
> > > > > currency and interest rate manipulation generate
> > > the bad kind of exports.
> > > > >
> > > > > John
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > John,
> > > > I kind of disgree with this statement, Its like
> > > saying; its bad to sale
> > > > John Deere tractor and harvestor to a farmer in
> > > Africa, but its ok to sale
> > > > ship loads of rice and wheat to that farmer from
> > > USA. This defeats the
> > > > purpose of famous saying "Don't give begger a
> > > ready made food, show him
> > > > how to grow food for his long term sustainabilty,
> > > so he would stop
> > > > begging, stealing and all that he does to survive"
> > > >
> > > > grp
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> > Compete on Design!
> >
> > www.johnspiers.com
China and Currency
Re: [spiers] Customs Brokers License - do I need one? and other questions. thanks
Lily,
You make money developing new products, and you make nothing handling
paperwork...
when you add in the learning time to get a brokers license, you will have lost
much time.
Some 6% of those who take the test pass, so 94% flunk. 99% of what you would
learn would
never apply to you, so I cannot see taking the time to be worth it. Let the
customsbrokers be
customsbrokers.
And yes, certainly, you can have small shipments come directly via post office
to your home
from china to sell... this is not a problem.
John Spiers
On Mon, 27 Mar 2006 15:53:03 -0800 (PST), Lily Yuan
> Hi John,
> I took your class last summer. I'm interested in importing and exporting (US
> and China). I still haven't taken any real action towards my dream. Most of it
> is just researching and accumulating ideas. I understand that the
> freighforwarding companies will usually take care of customs-related papers
and
> docs etc...I'm actually interested in being licensed as a customs broker just
> so that I can get a better understanding of the whole processs. Do you think
> it's necessary at all?
>
> Also, if I want to test selling a small batch of, say, apparel here to
> boutiques here or online, can't I just buy a batch in China and ship it via
the
> post office. Does that save me a lot of hassle? I know my question may sound
> silly. I guess I just want to "play" with my biz idea on a very small
> scale/batch without having to go through every step in the regular importing
> process. Basically I'm imagining a scenario where I can buy cheap in China or
> whereever (cash transaction), then sell here at a higher price that can cover
> the shipment cost (post office???), and through which I gain some really
> experience. I'm too afraid of lauching everything at the first try.
>
> Thank you so much for your valuable advice and comments in advance!
> Lily
>
>
> --- John Spiers
>
> > The phrase has an interesting history, actually coming out of the Truman
> > administration, just
> > that the hapless Earl butz was caught on tape saying it, doing for Nixon
what
> > Sec. of the
> > Interior James Watt did for Reagan, always managing to give the game away.
> >
> > Anyway, big business and big government go hand in hand, what with the
> > advantages and
> > efficiencies imagined in collectivization and harmonization. When it comes
> > to collectivist,
> > socialist impulses, the democrats simply do not have the chutzpah of the
> > republicans.
> >
> > John
> > On Fri, 24 Mar 2006 13:24:41 -0800 (PST), M A Granich
> > wrote :
> >
> > > What is the motive behind "get big or get out"? You
> > > said it was from the Nixon administration. What were
> > > they or are they attempting to do? Monopolize the ag
> > > markets?
> > >
> > > Anthony
> > > --- spiersegroups
> > >
> > > > GRP,
> > > >
> > > > Let me be clear, I am against either and both items
> > > > from being exported in the
> > > > measure they are subsidized or otherwise protected.
> > > >
> > > > I have no problem with a farmer in Ghana getting
> > > > subsidized rice cheap from usa,
> > > > allowing his fields to go fallow, and turning a
> > > > profit by selling USA rice to Ghanains,
> > > > until the USA taxpayers cry "enough" and we stop.
> > > > Then the same Ghanain farmer
> > > > resumes selling what he grows. This is non-violent
> > > > self-defense.
> > > >
> > > > But this is not what happens. The US Government
> > > > policy of "get big or get out"
> > > > extends overseas as well. The Ghanaians who go to
> > > > Harvard and receive Harvard
> > > > MBA's return to Ghana (or whatever country) and
> > > > enter leading buisiness or
> > > > government ministries. The set up a system that
> > > > allows them to buy from and work
> > > > with the USA Harvard MBA's employed at Archer
> > > > Daniels Midlands the "supermarket to
> > > > the world." and in USA government ministries. The
> > > > Ghanaian farmer cannot get a
> > > > license to import rice. He is taxed into oblivion
> > > > to assure he cannot compete with usa
> > > > rice, which is untaxed. These Harvard MBA's charge
> > > > a super premium to effect
> > > > polcies and actions that break the USA small farmer
> > > > and the Ghanaian small farmer.
> > > > The USA small farmer gets some welfare. The
> > > > Ghanaian farmer gets nothing. With
> > > > kids going hungry, many farmers choose the armed
> > > > response. (of course you can
> > > > substitute any number of exported items, countries,
> > > > and schools, but the general
> > > > system is essentially the same).
> > > >
> > > > So we agree, all subsidize cause direct harm, all
> > > > restrictions are violent. I am against
> > > > it.
> > > >
> > > > John
> > > > --- In spiers@yahoogroups.com, grmail@... wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Exports can be good or bad too... do we export
> > > > things we made or raw
> > > > > > materials... of the
> > > > > > things we made, are the consumer goods or are
> > > > they machinery and
> > > > > > equipment? Exporting
> > > > > > shoes is good, excporting a shoe-making machine
> > > > is bad becuase its value,
> > > > > > the ability to
> > > > > > make shoes, is exported. Exporting subsidized
> > > > goods is very bad indeed.
> > > > > > Subsidies,
> > > > > > currency and interest rate manipulation generate
> > > > the bad kind of exports.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > John
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > John,
> > > > > I kind of disgree with this statement, Its like
> > > > saying; its bad to sale
> > > > > John Deere tractor and harvestor to a farmer in
> > > > Africa, but its ok to sale
> > > > > ship loads of rice and wheat to that farmer from
> > > > USA. This defeats the
> > > > > purpose of famous saying "Don't give begger a
> > > > ready made food, show him
> > > > > how to grow food for his long term sustainabilty,
> > > > so he would stop
> > > > > begging, stealing and all that he does to survive"
> > > > >
> > > > > grp
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Compete on Design!
> > >
> > > www.johnspiers.com