The year is 64 A.D. Rome burns to the ground. Orange flames pull the Palatine’s columns to the ground while smoky fingers suffocate thousands. Into this lurid scene steps Emperor Nero. He breathes deep, filling his lungs with ash, and sings joyfully as Rome burns.
Like the mad emperor, four decades of America’s political elites celebrated as America’s industry and economy were torched by global “free” trade. Thousands of factories moved abroad. Millions lost their jobs. And every American has seen the dollar’s purchasing power decline.
Despite these obvious facts, the elites refused to raise reciprocal tariffs. They justified their actions, claiming that we should be free to buy whatever we want—the government should not be in the business of picking economic winners and losers by imposing tariffs. The free market should decide.
This is nonsense for two reasons. First, both action and inaction are choices in any system that is in flux. Second, America’s government should use tariffs to choose winners—if we do not, then China certainly will.
Downstream without a paddle
Many liberty-minded conservatives reflectively oppose tariffs because they do not want the government to be in the business of picking economic winners and losers. They want to let the “free market” decide. Accordingly, they support global free trade over an America-first trade policy, which supports American business with protective tariffs. This is senseless. […]
— Read More: amgreatness.com
