walk the walk

i'm going to be honest with everyone. i have run out of 'original' ideas to talk about in these blogs. well at least in terms of coming up with a detailed analysis of my strategies and tactics for completion of a campaign. so this week, i'm going to discuss a current event, and attempt to relate it to some current game play that is underway.

i have recently read an article in an online economics journal, which addressed president bush's current stance on a free-market society, or lack there of. the bush administration has demonstrated to much of the american public that above all else, it prizes a free-market society. however, president bush has recently signed legislation that levies a substantial tariff on the import of chinese glossy paper. this was obviously done as an effort to protect that portion of the american economy from being harmed by foreign dumping. one might not see this as being a huge deal because the glossy paper imported from china make up less than 0.1% of the total amount of chinese imports. however, what the article points out is the fact that this new tariff is going to open the floodgates for other industries to file anti-dumping claims against other nations. it is far more symbolic than anything else.

this legalisation makes the bush and his republican administration seem fickle, and may cause a number of new problems with his 'fast-track' policy that expire june 30th of this year. the point that i am trying to make while relating this to civilization iv, is that in order to be taken seriously as a prosperous nation, the government in power must stand true to it's principles. i've experienced it in the game; if i trade periodically with a myriad of different empires, with no regard to order or a pattern, you cause more problems than it's actually worth. in order to thrive, you have to choose a policy to govern by, and follow through. you have to 'walk the walk' if you're going to claim to be a free-market society or employ protectionist policies if that is your choice. you cannot dance between two or more ideologies. you will not build rapport with your trading partners, or gain the trust of your allies.