Genuinely believe that this basic mindset of "intuitive mercantilism" is the root cause of so much bad policy making, going beyond trade issues to many other issues related to exchange even inside a country including e.g. simple profit making which is often seen as illegitimate.
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Indeed, the notion that one man's profit is another man's loss is demonstrably widespread:https://twitter.com/DegenRolf/status/888393195792605185 …
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In real life, additional effects play a role. 1) Gains or losses by parties not involved in the trade. Such as US car makers losing when US consumers buy German BMWs. 2) losses can be concentrated (Detroit!) whereas gains can be dispersed & less visible.
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Is part of the reason also that “voluntary exchanges” are often very lopsided in terms of power? Large, powerful countries have far more leverage than smaller, weaker countries. And who had equal bargaining power to the car salesperson the last time they bought a car?
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I think that you have gotten to the heart of the matter here. This why I am for unconditional basic income, land-value taxation, trust-busting, and universal health care, and still very much for market capitalism and free trade. The power to say no changes EVERYTHING.
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A: Why so glum? B: Life's zero sum! A: But you see that bum? B: The one drinking rum? A: Yep, and his other thumb... B: A smartphone it strums...? A: And whence *that* income? B: Uh, erm, ah, um... A: Case in point, son.
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By anecdote, I suspect many people believe that value (which isn't even defined) is a conserved quantity
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Some aspects of trade seems to be zero sum, I'd name bargaining and speculation on the stock exchange.
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Also I am not sure what to make of rip-off drink prices at airports. At any point in time you feel at loss giving in to cravings and buying this coca cola can. In some sense it is still mutually beneficial trade, but it is really hard to call it fair
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