Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Back from Vacation

Iran has come back from Nowruz's vacation. Two weeks, no newspaper, no serious political meeting and no significant economic event. Right now the USA and Iran both are in the business of sending positive smoke signals, a fortunate development.
Economy...well economy is a rather strange affair in Iran. Dr. Larijani allowed a report on fiscal performance of the government to be read in Majlis. One must admit that Mr. Ahmadinejad's govrenment left much to be desired in this matter. Apparently government did not follow the budget in half of the places, where it should have.
On the other hand Dr. Mo'meni, Mr. MirHussein Mousavi chief economic advisor is adding to our concerns. Mr. Mousavi is running as the chief presidential candidate of reformist parties now, and has been endorsed by several groups so far. Should he occupy presidency it is speculated that Dr. Mo'meni would be his choice to run the ministry of economic affairs. Dr. Mo'meni has made no secret of his passion for protectionism and government's role in economic affairs.

1 comment:

nassim sabba said...

"Protectionism and government's role in economics affairs" are completely legitimate desires when there is no real "free trade" between nations. The US has free trade only when it comes to cheap products and even cheaper menial labor, but not professional labor, medicine, and technology, the latter are all protected by copyright and patent monopolies.

I would suggest readers Google Dean Baker for discussion of real protectionism vs. US media/government proclamations.

Anyhow, US has 100% protectionism through legal clampdown on its products by holding back the competition through any measure possible, using legal constructs such as copyrights and patents, but brings in cheap labor from south and central america. US protectionism is the strongest in the former, and disappears only in modern day cheap labor (slavery?).

Iran needs protection against such a powerful system. Iran's national treasures are too valuable to be exposed to a system designed to dupe and plunder.