Those rare earths that China happens to have a lot of, are rather important for the functioning of our modern IT products and so.

Prior to China becoming the worlds supplier of Rare Earths the US was. They still have the capability to mine and process them.

New Zealand also has deposits of Rare Earths that we could exploit. There’s something like 140 viable sites around Lake Taupo and several more in Te Wai Pounamu.

Without rare earths, without certain medicinal products, without some high tech for hospitals, research and more, we would be stuffed, as there is no way we could deliver on all this ourselves.

That’s where you’re wrong. We actually could provide all those ourselves. We have the resources and the necessary level of productivity to do it. Just need to build the infrastructure so that we can develop the capability.

It would, of course, mean that we would have to give up a lot of farming but considering how much environmental damage that farming does while not providing high level sills or income I’m sure that we’d be better off if we did so.

Those rare earths that China happens to have a lot of, are rather important for the functioning of our modern IT products and so.

Some things are absolutely essential in modern day societies, so that makes some resource rich countries somewhat powerful, and gives them an advantage compared to those that have little to offer, except perhaps their bare hands to do labour.

“Free Trade” is a concept that is a bit of a lie, Whichever way we look at it.

Without rare earths, without certain medicinal products, without some high tech for hospitals, research and more, we would be stuffed, as there is no way we could deliver on all this ourselves.

Hence we do need some trade, call it “free” or whatever, but I agree with your list of minimum standards we should share with the nations we may trade with, at least we should aim for trading preferably with those that fulfill such requirements.

They represent perhaps the single biggest reason why we’re arguably highly unlikely to ever have a proper free trade deal with the Europeans – present and current events with our tax-haven status notwithstanding.

Did you know that the basis of free-trade is Willing buyer, willing seller?

It’s a really important point and one that we should be standing up for across the world. If Europe doesn’t want to buy from us that’s their decision. We don’t have to buy from them either.

In fact, when it comes down to it, that simple basis tells us that we don’t need FTAs or even the WTO which seems to be more about forcing trade rather than free-trade. When China decided to stop selling 95% of their Rare Earths to the rest of the world that is their choice and the Eu and US should not have been able to take them to WTO arbitration to force them to sell.

When we really think about it we shouldn’t be looking for FTAs at all. They actually prevent free trade.

What we need to be doing instead is setting standards that the other nations have to meet before we’ll trade with them. Standards such as:

1. Their minimum wage is similar to ours
2. Their working conditions are the same
3. They protect their environment
4. If they’re a rogue nation or not

etc, etc

Our exchange rate also needs to be properly set. It should be based upon the trade between two countries and not upon how much some individuals are willing to pay. If imports from a country exceed our exports to that country then our dollar value should decrease in relation to that countries currency. As it is we’ve opened ourselves to financial manipulation as we saw in 1987 when John Key with Kreuger(?) crashed our economy so that some of their clients could make money for doing nothing of value.

Do these things and we’ll get free-trade that will actually bring about benefits rather than the present system that is enriching the already wealthy, destroying the environment, squandering resources and will, inevitably, destroy society. Just as capitalism has done throughout history.

EXACTLY. Our 4th estate now morphs into the National party.

The CV starting to look a bit stained?

Tax haven – sorted.

I suppose they tick differently on the other side of the globe.