Éire Aontaithe Economic Policy

[danny]

With all the discussion about creating a party manifesto, I thought it might be a good idea to use this forum to formulate our economic policy. Here we can collaborate to find a policy that we can mostly agree on. It can be vague at points if there is substantial disagreement. Quite a few party manifestos are. It's not imperative that we come up with a massively detailed economic policy at present. It's more important that we are seen to be working on it.

Anyway, here are the points I think define our party's stance pretty well. The points below are opinions which I have in common with either Bristel or Helicon, though the reasons given for those positions reflect my opinion rather than anyone else's. Any position which I do not know to be held by at least one more member of the party is not given.

1) We favour free trade and oppose excessive protectionism and unnecessary limitations on the circulation of goods and services.

2) We oppose project lambda on the grounds that the plan applies detrimental limitations to trade in the private market, particularly in those sectors which are not addressed directly by the plan. However, we may be willing to negotiate on certain points

3) We favour a militarised industry as it appears to be favoured by the game mechanics and is essential to creating the demand which is necessary to address the current issue of excess supply and subsequent corporate liquidation.




So.... Does everyone agree with the above propositions? What changes should be made?

[Wandering Rian]

I am not sure I agree with the free trade issue.

I totally get it in real life... but here in the game, I am not so sure that I like it.

I don't think real world and game world parallel each other and I've not seen the benefit in opening up the markets in eIreland.

I am not getting better goods... I am not getting a diversity of choices... the only thing that will happen is that the price will drop and Irish citizens can buy cheap guns.

But then the Irish companies can't make money and can't pay the workers so the workers can't spend as much meaning a downward spiral of deflation.

Perhaps with V2 coming this bit will change.... or maybe if we get our economy working correctly... we could the barriers down...

Most of this is thinking out loud... not focus or pre-thought.

[weedabixxx]

I'll have to agree with Rian on his "im not getting better goods" statement. I havent seen a drastic change in our markets due to free trade. I'm 90% sure everything I buy is Irish made anyways...

all other points though, im A-ok

[danny]

Here's the revised version. I changed the order since putting lambda first looks petty and would look like we have no policy other than opposition.

1) We favour a militarised industry as it appears to be favoured by the game mechanics and is essential to creating the demand which is necessary to address the current issue of excess supply and subsequent corporate liquidation.

2) We oppose project lambda on the grounds that the plan applies detrimental limitations to trade in the private market, particularly in those sectors which are not addressed directly by the plan. However, we may be willing to negotiate on certain points


I did start typing an argument in favour of ER fee trade, but when it came down to it, it was dependent on traditional economic theory. People running failing businesses normally would not keep running something that costs them money. I hadn't considered the 'I just want to own a company' factor. Nevertheless, I still think it would be ideal if we and our trading partners could eliminate tarriffs. If only we could run some sort of free trade experiment with a selected country, we could see the outcome. Unfortunately, I believe import taxes are universal; the only exception being countries with trade embargoes placed on them. Is that correct?

[Wandering Rian]

Danny, something new occured to me yesterday...

1. Looks like I make 35 guns a day.
2. I am currently selling 25 to a group of EA fighters at 3.03ea
3. I have two members with gun subscriptions getting 35 guns for 2 gold or paying 2.86ea

Hence.... I have basically found my market, skirted my competiion and will make a profit... albiet a small one... but it's working.

So, what do I care about imports.... as long as they don't drive the price down below my build cost.... I am fine with it...

Now, I would prefer Irish companies succeed... but... they should be finding ways to sell their goods on their own... in fact, looking at the fact that I only make 35 guns a day... and I think I am gonna need more than that... I face either finding someone to help supply us with more guns at the same price or starting a second gun company.

Interesting, no?

[danny]

Any company that isn't trying to sell goods on its own should technically go out of business fairly shortly (excluding ones that actually have external agencies acting as intermediaries, which they shouldn't be doing for free anyway). If it's not going out of business and someone is paying to keep it running it will reach a point where it is simply unable to produce. Once it reaches that point, the only thing keeping it going is individual investment, which would be a diverson of funds which would probably have been spent on more productive sectors of the economy. I can actually see the logic behind lambda's huge tax increase if people are genuinely doing this.