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Since you have refused to provide a definition for what you believe “free trade” is I will give you the meaning. Your irrelevant asides are no longer that funny. So I will keep it veery simple.

Free trade is the condition of exchange wherein the traders decide for themselves it is worth their making. There is no government involvement pro or con with the trade. There is no government subsidy of or tax upon these transactions. It is not the result of capitalized letter organizations even if the FT within them says “free trade”.

We do not have true “free trade” and we never have. This is an economic concept/ideal which runs headlong into politics which require it to be modified most of the time negatively for the nation as a whole.

One modification of the rule that free trade is best is defense industries since in war comparative advantage could lead your enemy to be the supplier of some military necessity. That one I accept.

Ones based upon the social or political system of the potential traders or the degree of environmental regulation or union membership I reject.

Free trade is the condition of exchange wherein the traders decide for themselves it is worth their making.

So why was the WTO created? ( to circumvent constitutional oversight of trade by the US Congress).

'free trade' without interference by a national government means that the US shouldn't provide any legal protections for global corporations, under our Constitution, because you free traitors don't want anyone telling you anything.

But there you go, using the USTR office to set your own agenda, and 'open' markets for you using US tax dollars so you don't spend a penny of your corporate money.

We have clear evidence 'free traders' seek out slave labor. It's the cheapest you can get and the profits are maximal, in your very own words. Governments can outlaw slavery, like the American 13th amendment, that's why free traitors dislike government. And for the citizens to be self governing and come up with laws against slavery in their own country?! It's just appalling to a free traitor.

Free traitors find citizens and citizenship appalling too. If you're not a consumer, you are a worker, and those are the only two acceptable places for normal human beings in the free traitor world. You said it, free traitors find NO problem whatsoever 'trading' with communist slave labor manufacturers. And that is why most Americans despise you free traitors.

...We do not have true “free trade” and we never have. This is an economic concept/ideal which runs headlong into politics which require it to be modified ...

Interesting that you denigrate myself, hedgetrimmer, and apoliticalone based upon a definition of free trade that you admit never has existed because of politics. Your snide remarks are at best disingenuous.

We are looking at the reality of 'free trade' as is has been practiced (GATT, NATO, WTO ...), and its disastrous results.

Your ideal exists in a world devoid of the dark side of human nature or what Bastiat in the Law referred to as the common tendency of man to prosper at the expense of others.

This is the same trap that communists fall into - idealizing human nature. The mantra 'From each according to his ability and to each according to his need' is poetic but ignores human nature.

Because of human nature we need laws against murder, fraud, and treason. Because of human nature our Founding Fathers designed a constitution to split political power among the executive, judicial, and legislative branches, and among federal, state and local government.

We are looking at 'free trade as it exists, the destruction it has wroth, and how to reverse it. China, India, etc have declared an economic war upon the US, and our esteemed leaders have raised the white flag (no doubt as a quid pro quo for 'campaign contributions').