You normally have good analyses and coherent thinking, but you are skipping the biggest culprit, the ubiquitous 900 lbs. gorilla - the government.
From local zoning boards all the way to the Feds, our government has placed the free market and hence individual liberty under attack. You cannot buy what you want, you cannot live where you want, you cannot keep the product of your labor.
90% of what we don't like about free trade, immigration - both legal and illegal, welfare, et al are creatures and creations of government.
We've allowed ourselves to be managed by the most despicable creature God ever made - the politician - who by its very nature is neither hot nor cold, for nor against, but interested in voting your way. That is until you've cast your vote and given it a monopoly.
Then it votes as it wants - self-interest and all that. You know.
I basically agree with you but the Feds and governments at all levels are usually responding to strong business interests. Which can be OK but not when you have very strong business interests in Wall Street who push NAFTA/GATT and who lobbied heavily (CitiBank and American Express) to repeal Glass Steagle
Yeah the lefties and multiKulties can dominate locally like where I live. All depends on the situation