david (e) tobey

Fascinating final lecture in Global Econ last night. The topic seemed simple, but proved to be extremely complex: “Is Free Trade Good?”

Problems we wrestled with — what is good? Is it ethical? Moral good? And what is free trade, exactly? Is it a lack of barriers to products? Or is it internationalized production? Can free trade be one or the other?

One thing I’m still chewing on — attacking tariffs as a form of regressive taxation on the poor. If only I had more time to study these topics…

Sometimes, winning really matters — when the whole world is watching, when everything is on the line, when it’s your time, when the stars and planets align and it’s your moment.

Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk took off his silver medal as soon as he left the podium, a look of disgust on his face.

Despite Spain’s win, the Netherlands easily had the best team in the world, and were superior players yesterday. They were robbed by a red card. And further still, they made it through the entire tournament without a loss. None of that matters though. What your parents told you when you’re a kid is sometimes wrong: trying your best isn’t enough. All that can matter is winning.

The view from my office — downtown + Mr. Rainier. The most beautiful day in Seattle, ever. At least in recent memory. WOW.