[Torie]

Man, you seem to think government can direct a command centralized economic protectionist regime "intelligently." The US has been free trade since trade became a significant factor in its overall economy. If non competitive industries are cosseted, in time, particularly since protectionism is so hard to really enforce, the US would be eaten alive economically in rather short order. The US needs a Darwinian testing to retain its muscle tone.

I don't worry much however about this issue. A serious protectionism regime will never be enacted in America, for any length of time. The negative consequences will so quickly manifest themselves, that the regime would collapse of its own weight. The debate is simply for public consumption during campaigns by those protectionist elements who think it might further their drive to power. That drive will fail too. I have confidence in the ultimate good judgment of the American voter on the basics.

[ninenot]

Man, you seem to think government can direct a command centralized economic protectionist regime "intelligently."

Not really. But a few years of "whoa--let's look at this.." won't hurt too much.

The US has been free trade since trade became a significant factor in its overall economy.

I think your history is erroneous. Recent history: Ron Reagan, a conservative as you recall, discovered that the Japs were dumping both cars AND motorcycles in the USA and stopped them, cold.

But hey, Harley-Davidson is just buggywhips, right? Junk, right? Fat lazy managers and union types, right?

Not-so-recent history: we have ALWAYS maintained tariffs, just as we have ALWAYS subsidized certain export industries (principally agricultural.)

Where do you get this "free trade" stuff?

[GOP_1900AD]

According to you, when did trade become a significant factor? 1776? 1865? 1900? Some other date?