How the Government Works 05/28/2011

Colombia, ravaged by political and cartel violence during the last half of the 20th century by the cocaine trade, looked for the U.S for help.  After all, the U.S. was their major importer of the commodity.

Rather than try to solve its own problem, the U.S. tried to limit coca farming and expand jobs in Columbia by suspending import duties on Colombian flowers.  The results were disastrous for the U.S. flower industry,

In 1971, the US produced 1.2 billion roses, carnations, and chrysanthemums, and imported only 100 million.  By 2003, the US imported 2 billion and grew only 200 million, devastating the U.S. flower business and related jobs in the US.

The government doesn’t know what it’s doing and causes more harm that good.