Rufus Yerxa's Favorite Joke

Here’s a favorite joke of World Trade Organization Deputy Director General Rufus Yerxa repeated last week by New Zealand Minister for International Trade Tim Groser –

“Rufus Yerxa arrives in Rome and is delayed iat the airport. He sits down with a WTO colleague and says I’ve got all the time in the world for you. Sit down and I will tell you about trade in the United States. You know, America is a great country. You can come from humble origins and you want to be President of the United States, you can do it. You come from a very modest family and want to become wealthy; you can do it. This country presents the greatest opportunities to become a wealthy person. You can do it.

You want to become a film star, you can get on the Greyhound bus, you go to Hollywood and get yourself an entry-level job. You can become a great film star.

You can do anything in the United States. There’s one thing you can’t do, you can’t import cheese.”