Words    Words    Words

Just a heads up: We’re going to be doing some fun things with the blog, and with my web site (dreamcafe.com), so the look will be changing.  One thing we plan on is that the books on the blog will contain a link to discussion space here for each book (this in answer to the [...]

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Page 424: “When manufactures have advanced to a certain pitch of greatness, the fabrication of the instruments of trade becomes itself the object of a great number of very important manufactures.” Page 436: “To hurt in any degree the interest of any one order of citizens, for no other purpose but to promote that of [...]

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This chapter deals with colonies.  Smith begins by discussing ancient Greek and Roman colonies, in order to contrast them with the colonies of his day.  I don’t know enough history to be certain, but I get the feeling that the ancient colonies had nothing in common with the more modern ones except the name, so [...]

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This chapter deals with treaties of commerce.  As one would expect, Smith wants as few restrictions on trade as possible, and makes a good case. Page 410: “A direct foreign trade of consumption is always more advantageous than a round-about one; and to bring the same value of foreign goods to the home market, requires [...]

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The other day, desiring a sort of snack to calm the rumblings of hunger, I bethought myself to consider the possibility of a bagel.  As two of the three people living here eat bagels (the third preferring some sort of abomination that goes under a similar name but contains raisins), it seemed likely we had [...]

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Place to discuss Your Itch.

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p 392: “…every branch of trade in which the merchant can sell his goods for a price which replaces to him, with the ordinary profits of stock, the whole capital employed in preparing and sending them to market, can be carried on without a bounty.” This is not the first time we’ve seen that phrase, [...]

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