[allmendream]

I think any and all jobs “saved” due to the Protectionism of cane and beat sugar growing in the USA were more than made up for by jobs “lost” in candy manufacturing, etc.

If the USA produced no sugar at all, the sugar manufacturing nations would still be selling at the world price, in competition with each other. They haven't formed a sugar OPEC yet, have they?

Strange to see “conservatives” arguing that government intervention in the market is a good thing that leads to the most positive outcomes for the most people.

[rhombus]

Strange to see “conservatives” arguing that government intervention in the market is a good thing that leads to the most positive outcomes for the most people.

Next we'll hear the case for unions. ;-)

[katana]

I must admit to being torn on the question, so your point is very well taken. The unions and the tendency of American companies to let the accountants run everything have done more to drive businesses under or offshore than any other factors.

But where my opinion on free trade vs. protection has migrated is the question of maintaining a domestic industrial manufacturing, agricultural, and resource base for both national and economic security. We do still export quite a lot of goods in certain manufacturing sectors, including medical (the area I work in), but even here our comparative advantage is declining rapidly and production is moving offshore. Once that base is lost it won't necessarily be easy to get back.