You have a very fertile imagination. Free trade is about freedom and it is the exact opposite of protectionism. Protectionism empowers government at the expense of the individual and is a sure fire method for increasing cronyism. Free trade, however you might define it, reduces taxes and government control of the economy which makes government bureaucrats less influential resulting in less cronyism.
Free trade may not always work out like Adam Smith, Hayek or Friedman envisioned, but pursuing it is light years better than pleading to government bureaucrats for protection.
And you are a contrarian. I invite you to go to the US Constitution Article 1 Section 8 and read about duty and impost power (tariffs) as responsibilities of the government.
Being against crony liberal government is one thing. Being against all government is another.