Leave it to the European Community to warn us of the dire consequences of free competition. One of the funniest examples of Europe's market—phobia is the so—called "banana wars" which have been fought over the alarming prospect of giving up an arcane system of colonial (!) preferences which have kept New World bananas from European breakfast tables for decades. Instead, mostly African ex—colonies have been able to sell their smaller, higher—priced bananas on a preferential basis.

Deutsche Welle's account of the impending threat of the freedom to buy market price bananas is classic:

Europeans eat a lot of bananas and are willing to pay generous prices for the pleasure, but if a new ruling on import duty becomes reality, they may find the market swamped with bunches of cheap, poorly produced fruit.

Yes, we all remember how generous Europeans are. We all remember the Marshall Plan — oops, that was Americans being generous to their former enemies in Europe. Hmm, how much do the Europeans give to charity, compared to Americans? Oops, again.

And, of course, everyone knows that Europeans are incapable of recognizing poorly produced fruit, which is why they must be guarded against the possibility of buying any. But regardless of thewir inability to choose their own fruit, those Europeans certainly are sophisticated comapred to their Yankee antagonists.

The EU regulates the size and curvature of bananas, along with practically everything else. And they give faceless bureaucrats in brussels the power to make these rules with no democratic oversight.

Can someone please explain to me just why anyone thinks they are intelligent?

Hat tip: Lucianne.com

Thomas Lifson   5 13 05