I agree that we've always engaged in trade, but I think it is much less accurate to say that we relied on it. The history of our nation is more one of growth and increasing self-reliance on our own resources. The importance of trade diminished as a portion of our GDP.
But it certainly IS accurate to say that trade was never "fair" to begin with:
The most egregious and inexcusable violation of another nation's sovereignty by the United States occurred in 1854 when Commodore Matthew Perry sailed into Edo Harbor (now Tokyo) with 7 ships (4 sailing ships, 3 steamers, 1600 men) and demanded that the Japanese open their ports to trade or else he'd open fire with his cannon. This was actually Perry's second visit to Japan. His demands had been diplomaticly rebuffed the previous year.
The consequence of Perry's actions was disruption of the Japanese currency, which eventually led to the collapse of the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1867, and the restoration of the Meiji emperor.
This blatant misuse of American military power for the benefit of private enterprise occurred during the administration of Franklin Pierce, a Democrat. It is an embarrassing stain on our national reputation.
demanded that the Japanese open their ports to trade or else...
This blatant misuse of American military power for the benefit of private enterprise
Where does it follow from that opening trade was for the benefit of "private enterprise?" (Never mind that at that time we did not have any other kind of enterprise).
Trade benefits the nation, but Willie tries to portray this action as if he was paid by the "owners," them rich folk, you know. Burn their estates, long live the revolution!
Willie Green is taking FR for a ride.
He posts only anti-corporate and anti-capitalist propaganda on this forum. Seldom participates in his threads, and when he does, he plugs in, carefully, falsehoods such as the one quoted above. Of such as these, under a guise of a joke: "With the way Dubya is racking up the Budget Deficit and National Debt, we'll probably have to sell those states back to the French!"
You'll never catch him saying anything positive about this country or its core institutions. The workers, however --- excuse me, Comrade Green, the proletariat --- is always unjustly suffering.
This socialist plant does what all of theme do: uses the freedom of expression on this forum to destabilize its very purpose.