Unrestrained and taken to excess as it tends to be, the ideology of competition overrules other approaches to organizing economic, political and social life. It imposes its logic upon other human, social and environmental dimensions, often pretending that it needs to ignore them as of secondary consideration. It obscures recognition that it is not the only value that can operate in the service of individual countries.
2. Hyper competitiveness has made the economically strong and rich countries stronger and richer by favouring economic integration at the global level amongst the most developed countries. The exceptions, namely the industrialized countries of Southeast Asia, are not due to competitiveness but rather to providing new sites favourable to the investment and growth of multinational corporations.
3. Having failed industrially, the USA and the UK are now trying to undercut the welfare compromises of their more successful neighbours through the North American Free Trade Area, in the US case, and through resistance to the EEC/EU social chapter in the case of the UK. They are also using their military and armaments strength as an export earner.
2. Strengthening competition is a key element in ensuring the success of deregulatory economic reforms adopted worldwide in recent years. Productive resources are thereby allocated in an efficient and flexible manner through the decentralized decisions of market operators rather than by government direction or through rent-seeking activity. Through competition consumer dissatisfaction serves as a market sanction for poor performance. For this purpose, market forces need to be supported by appropriate rules of competition.