January 19, 2005

There IS Something Fishy About the Scarebus

Apparently the Europeans are holding Thai fishing tariffs hostage to induce purchases of the Scarebus:

While millions of Europeans are sending aid to Thailand to help its recovery, trade authorities in Brussels are demanding that Thai Airlines, its national carrier, pays £1.3 billion to buy its double-decker aircraft.

The demand will come as a deep embarrassment to Peter Mandelson, the trade commissioner, whose officials started the negotiation before the disaster struck Thailand - killing tens of thousands of people and damaging its economy.

While aid workers from across Europe are helping to rebuild Thai livelihoods, trade officials in Brussels are concluding a jets-for-prawns deal, which they had hoped to announce next month.

This is nothing but a modern-day version of mercantilism. Weasels learn nothing and forget nothing, and they are capable of anything.

HT: Andrew Stuttaford.

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