Sir, – The cheerleaders for globalisation have never tired of telling us that free trade benefits everybody since it allows the optimal allocation of resources. Under this banner they have succeeded in establishing the unfettered movement of capital around the world and even established international bodies that can force sovereign states to comply. However, we’ve never heard them trumpet the free movement of the other mobile factor of production, namely labour. It is a logical corollary of the flat earth narrative that all people should be able to move freely to where they can be employed with the greatest global efficiency. If a starving man from Eritrea is willing to work in a German factory for €2 a day it is “inefficient” to prevent him doing so. Perhaps some high-priests of neo-liberalism would like to address this implication of their free market ideology? – Yours, etc,
Dr KEVIN T RYAN,
Limerick.