[SAMWolf]

Part of the problem is that right now it isn't free, some countries either limit or prohibit American goods in their markets. The American taxpayer also backs loans to other countries so they can "buy" our goods and when those loans are defaulted on, we get stuck with the bill.

Unfortunately, Free Trade does not equate with Fair Trade in today's world, IMHO.

[Protagoras]

Part of the problem is that right now it isn't free, some countries either limit or prohibit American goods in their markets. The American taxpayer also backs loans to other countries so they can "buy" our goods and when those loans are defaulted on, we get stuck with the bill.

The failures of government are the problem, not the free market. You blame problems caused by government interference on the freemarket.

Unfortunately, Free Trade does not equate with Fair Trade in today's world, IMHO.

The market is better able to define "fair" that any group of individuals arbitrarily deciding it.

[per loin]

Our federal tax structure amounts to a tariff on American made products. By doing away with income and social security taxes, and switching to external tariffs, we, as consumers, still bear the ultimate burden of the taxes in the prices of what we buy, but the cost of producing American goods, vis-a-vis foreign goods, is radically reduced. In short, our tax structure should be designed for our, rather than other nations' benefit.