… “[I]n general, the protective system of our day is conservative, while the free trade system is destructive. It breaks up old nationalities and pushes the antagonism of the proletariat and the bourgeoisie to the extreme point. In a word, the free trade system hastens the social revolution. It is in this revolutionary sense alone, gentlemen, that I vote in favor of free trade.” …It does beg the question as to what Marx would have thought. The irony of Xi Jinping, perhaps the biggest protectionist in the world, touting free trade at Davos; is that lost on Marx’s statement here, or is it compatible?
Depends if you understand Marx’s statement, for starters. He claims that he is in favor of free trade because it will cause a revolution of the proletariat. Be careful when you tread near this argument, you don’t want free-traders to think you’re a real Marxist.