Their side of the bargain?
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="passage">passage</span> <span word="and">and</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="particular">particular</span>, “<span word="their">their</span> <span word="side">side</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bargain">bargain</span>” (<span word="Business">Business</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="India">India</span>: <span word="The">The</span> <span word="price">price</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="graft">graft</span>, <span word="The">The</span> <span word="Economist">Economist</span>, <span word="March">March</span> 24, 2011):</p><p><span word="Even">Even</span> <span word="so">so</span>, <span word="India">India</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="home">home</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="unusually">unusually</span> <span word="pernicious">pernicious</span> <span word="form">form</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="corruption">corruption</span>, <span word="argues">argues</span> <span word="Jahangir">Jahangir</span> <span word="Aziz">Aziz</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="JPMorgan">JPMorgan</span>. <span word="Elsewhere">Elsewhere</span> <span word="graft">graft</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="fairly">fairly</span> <span word="efficient">efficient</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="business">business</span>: <span word="investors">investors</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="pay">pay</span> <span word="bribes">bribes</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="China">China</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="least">least</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="confident">confident</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="return">return</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="India">India</span>, <span word="however">however</span>, <span word="too">too</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="crooked">crooked</span> <span word="officials">officials</span> <span word="demand">demand</span> <span word="cash">cash</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="fail">fail</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="deliver">deliver</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="side">side</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bargain">bargain</span>. <span word="Uncertainty">Uncertainty</span>, <span word="not">not</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="cost">cost</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> “<span word="graft">graft</span> <span word="tax">tax</span>”, <span word="may">may</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="biggest">biggest</span> <span word="deterrent">deterrent</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="all">all</span>.</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="I">I</span> <span word="don">don</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="know">know</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="greater">greater</span> <span word="insult">insult</span>/<span word="compliment">compliment</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="Indian">Indian</span> <span word="businesses">businesses</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="important">important</span> <span word="question">question</span> <span word="concerning">concerning</span> <span word="us">us</span> <span word="here">here</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="whether">whether</span> <span word="one">one</span> “<span word="delivers">delivers</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="side">side</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bargain">bargain</span>”.</p><p><span word="But">But</span> <span word="first">first</span>, <span word="bargain">bargain</span>.</p><p><span word="Which">Which</span> <span word="essentially">essentially</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="cheap">cheap</span> <span word="deal">deal</span>, <span word="something">something</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="less">less</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="usual">usual</span> <span word="value">value</span>.</p><p><span word="You">You</span> <span word="go">go</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="market">market</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="Xiushui">Xiushui</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Beijing">Beijing</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="example">example</span>, <span word="to">to</span> <span word="buy">buy</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="wrist">wrist</span> <span word="watch">watch</span>. <span word="One">One</span> <span word="vendor">vendor</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="sells">sells</span> <span word="imported">imported</span> <span word="watches">watches</span> <span word="catches">catches</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="eye">eye</span>. <span word="Counterfeit">Counterfeit</span> <span word="watches">watches</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="matter">matter</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="fact">fact</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="know">know</span> <span word="it">it</span>. <span word="You">You</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="initial">initial</span> <span word="inquiry">inquiry</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="vendor">vendor</span> <span word="says">says</span>: “<span word="Three">Three</span> <span word="hundred">hundred</span> <span word="kuai">kuai</span>.”</p><p><span word="You">You</span> <span word="go">go</span> <span word="away">away</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="vendor">vendor</span> <span word="calls">calls</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="back">back</span>. “<span word="Name">Name</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="price">price</span>.”</p><p><span word="You">You</span> <span word="turn">turn</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="ask">ask</span> <span word="again">again</span>: “<span word="How">How</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="say">say</span>?”</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="vendor">vendor</span> <span word="says">says</span>: “<span word="Three">Three</span> <span word="hundred">hundred</span>. <span word="If">If</span> <span word="you">you</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="serious">serious</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="buy">buy</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="for">for</span> 200.”</p>
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