Harry S Truman on Free Trade

	Harry S Truman on Free Trade

1949: Announced "The Development Decade" for global economy

I want to highlight this notion of development; it's so powerful. Harry Truman announced "The Development Decade" in 1949, and it has since become an overwhelming obsession. To challenge it is almost obscene. It's almost like taking your clothes off in public. It is taboo to challenge the notion of development. Why do we accept development as an unquestioned good?

Development is a race, and the rules of the race are made by influential people as part of a system that dramatically expands the gap between the rich and the poor everywhere in the world. This logic of development is rarely--if ever--challenged by "The New York Times", the White House, the G-7 summit, at major party conventions, in the mass media, or even in the schools.

Source: Dialogues, by Gov. Jerry Brown, p.140 , Apr 16, 1997

Join International Trade Organization & expand world trade

World prosperity also requires that we do all we can to expand world trade. As a major step in this direction we should promptly join the International Trade Organization. The purpose of this organization, which the United States has been foremost in creating, is to establish a code of fair practice, and an international authority for adjusting differences in international commercial relations. It is an effort to prevent the kind of anarchy and irresponsibility in world trade which did so much to bring about the world depression of the 1930's. An expanding world economy requires the improvement of living standards and the development of resources in areas where human poverty and misery now prevail. Without such improvement the recovery of Europe and the future of our own economy will not be secure. I urge that the Congress adopt the legislation now before it to provide for increasing the flow of technical assistance and capital investment in underdeveloped regions. Source: Pres. Truman's 1950 State of the Union message to Congress , Jan 4, 1950

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Page last updated: Feb 22, 2022