• 小莱卡@lemmygrad.ml
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    7 months ago

    Can we talk about the BS that is called “comparative advantage”?

    Other than certain raw materials (minerals, gas, oil, etc) that only can be extracted from certain regions in the world, and thus these regions are more efficient at producing said resources, this concept is absurd.

    In this case, there is nothing mystical about China that makes them so efficient at producing clean tech, it is just the quality of their current productive forces after years of investment, continuos improvement and political will.

    Imagine what internalizing this “comparative advantage” concept means for global south nations with economies stuck on raw materials exports, should they keep at it because they’re more efficient? (Aka cheap labour). No, they have to develop their own industry even if it is cheaper to import at that current moment, especially if said industry uses raw materials that are produced there.

    • cfgaussian@lemmygrad.mlOP
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      7 months ago

      I completely agree. “Comparative advantage” was always just an excuse for keeping underdeveloped countries underdeveloped so they could export cheap raw materials to the developed countries.

      • 小莱卡@lemmygrad.ml
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        7 months ago

        It’s funny that people internalized that bs and are using it against the US 😂 like this article.