I'd like to see a discussion project on world trade. I imagine many liberals probably feel torn between advocating free global trade on one hand and some forms of protectionism on the other (e.g. fair trade, maintaining UK manufacturing/farming, etc). There's also a tension between the internationalist and the localist instincts that liberals tend to hold simultaneously. The quality of public debate on this matter is very poor, with people either 'for' or 'against' economic globalisation, and failing to move beyond slogans in either case. Perhaps a discussion here could go further.

I'd certainly support a better discussion of world trade - I don't think, for example, that "free trade" and "fair trade" are mutually-exclusive, as much of the discourse, as well as the unfortunate series of advertisements from some well-known NGOs seems to assume. The reverse, in fact: if it's not fair, it can't be truly free (because the unfairness necessarily involves the illiberal exploitation of others), and vice-versa.

I think this would make an excellent discussion. I instinctively support free trade and my own view is, if it is truly free it would be fair. I have two problems with the issues, should developing nations be allowed to protect their markets in order to help them grow? Given the situation they are in, the answer is probably yes and the other one is, that when the West demands free trade from developing nations they also impose rules regarding how they run their health services etc. It seems to me that where the World Bank has gone wrong in the past is to push countries into western style capitalism without encouraging them to create western style health and education systems.