anything that can be good can be not so good when taken to excess
‘trade’, even free trade, cannot be supported as if a mantra or it becomes its own purpose at the expense of other values
civilzations are not built and not preserved on economic values to the exclusion of all other values and norms
yes, we should have trade, we should not be isolationists
but, those that perform that trade, and those alone, cannot, alone, set our social and civil agenda, on nothing more than trade principles, or they will do so at the peril of the values and principles that bind us together as a people
otherwise, they may save something of the economic benefit of trade for our great-great grandchildren, but the society will not be the great-great grandchild of our present society and many of our values will not be held in high esteem
in the long run culture and demographics, long and slow, out run economics, because many economic benefits move from place to place over time
but, when economic values alone are allowed to devalue the culture, then even the culture, with or without demographic sustenance, simply dies, no matter how later generations view their economic circumstances
the world cultures and their influences that have survived longest have done so through, and in spite of, great economic gains and losses to their central society
trade yes, free trade no - fair trade
the single trader acting alone does not see the full value, or detriment of either the price he seeks or the price he pays
that full value is played out over time by the entire society and culture
so yes, trade should be as open as possible but yes it should be regulated by the society, not simply for regulations sake but to seek terms the society deems fair to it as well
already our cherished value expressed as free-enterprise and built on the concepts of regulated but private enterprise have begun to escape the moorings of our western civilzation, devolving down into the mere acceptance of capitalism (and the ‘trade’ of any and all ‘capitalists’) as the norm and wherein the owner of that capital, politically free or not, is of no consequence
but it is
china now operates in a system best described as state capitalism, and there is nothing about the economic progress of their enterprise that even hints at any political evolution to freedom being derived from it - other than the economic privileges the dictators permit
much of the middle east functions in like manner of the old european mercantilists, where it is only the accountants that can sort out which capital is royal, private or private by royal privelege - for instance there is only such an accounting distinction between the royal family of dubai, the govt of dubai and the major ‘capitalist’ enterprises of dubai
the morphing of western free enterprise into a capitalism devoid of those western political foundations
offers us nothing more than ‘free trade’ that devalues our own social, moral and political model by virtue of how it lifts up, supports and renders equal the models that not only seek to ignore ours but to defeat it
we cannot advance without trade, but if trade is our only national value then we will not survive by it either
Good post.
And I will add that the caravan raiders of old have been replaced by lawyers.
Evidently you are a Heretic.
The High Church of Absolute Free Trade regrets that it must burn you at the stake, as a warning to others.