When the Right Way is Wrong

APIA -- Running a small country in the modern world is a very difficult feat. The miniscule size of the economy, combined with the lack of significant amounts of resources and labour means that most countries will not spend significant amounts time considering trade or any other economic or political interactions. Samoans, however, may have found an innovative solution to this problem.

Samoa, a tiny island country in the Pacific, has begun taking steps towards greater regional integration. Among these initiatives is the recent decision to switch from driving on the right side of the street to the left. By switching to the driving directions of all of its neighbours, Samoa's switch represents a big leap towards regional integration in the South Pacific.

The World Trade Foundation (WTF) sees many benefits in this. Firstly, it means that Samoa will now be able to import cheaper cars from its neighbours in Australia and New Zealand, where they also drive on the left side. Furthermore, it means that Samoa will become more involved with its neighbours and progress towards the entire South Pacific region operating as one body.

Much like the EU or NAFTA, regional integration seems to be the most viable solution for the South Pacific to be taken seriously. On the one hand, as a larger body, the South Pacific would have a much stronger say in economic and political relations and interactions. On the other hand, the union of all these microstates would make many of the larger, wealthier nations happy, too, as they complain that in many international bodies, each of these tiny nations has the same voting power as they do. In the future, the WTF would like to see further eradication of minor barriers and differences such as culture and religion and work towards greater unification.

This direction of change is mutually beneficial for the smaller and more significant nations. Due to its benefits, the Foundation has declared the changing of driving directions and any subsequent steps towards regional integration as WTF-approved actions.

Related reading: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8243110.stm