Economics With A Face

Talking to people you also get the sense that much more than the U.S., people associate free-trade with the rights of the consumer to freely buy the best product in terms of quality and price available. In the U.S. free-trade is associated with job losses. In Chile, to a larger degree, it is associated with more options for consumers. For example, we were told how prior to all this trade, clothes and shoes were incredibly expensive. Now, with less expensive clothing coming from Asia, people can afford more clothing in addition to other products or they can spend the money they save on something else that they might not have been able to afford. It is an attitude I wish was more prevalent in the United Sates.

We took a look at Jumbo, a giant supermarket that sold everything from food to clothing to office supplies and much more. It reminded me of an upscale Wal-Mart but when I asked if there was any backlash against stores like this Patricia replied that there really was not due to the fact that people can get so many good products at one place for great prices. It made sense to me. And really, the place was bustling—full of people shopping.

We also drove up into the base of the Andes which are very close to the city. It was interesting to see how quickly one can go from downtown shopping malls, to pine trees, to ski slopes. Santiago really is a unique city.

After the tour we thanked Patricia and promised to keep in touch. Next time we visit, whenever that is, they want to take us to the wine country a few hours south of the city. Of course, we would love nothing more than to show them the same hospitality in our hometowns in Northern California.