One of the things I've found almost universal is that the places that broke away from the Soviet Union feel so much more prosperous than those that stayed. (View Post)

Absolutely: the key is to remember that as VAT is charged at every stage, then the ultimate amount of tax paid is the same whether goods are made locally or are imported. (View Post)

Iirc, we run a deficit in goods, but a surplus overall. Fortunately, the US is obsessed with trade in goods. However, Trump's tariffs on Canadian oil (which are by far the stupidest part of his … (View Post)

2,000 bottles is only about three weeks consumption for @Leon. (View Post)

Has it failed? I would suggest that it is the policies of Germany and Italy, that suppress domestic demand to run trade surpluses that have failed. Go look at the developed world countries that run t… (View Post)