You are singularly focused on comparative advantage when you should be concerned with freedom. My conclusion is that you want government to make things right again so you must believe that government is reliable, capable and responsible. Sorry, I'm conservative and know better. You think the middle class is taking it on the chin now? Just wait until you and your economic illiterate buddies start picking winners and losers rather than hundreds of millions of people making billions of transaction in their best interest. When the people who believe they know what's best for everyone else (the elites) start deciding what you can buy and whom you can buy from, the middle class is really going to eat dirt.
We've already been through this before. The Boston Tea Party happened, and facilitated the American revolution, because our forefathers were tired of being taxed on the things they needed and hated being told who they had to buy from. The fact that these guys called themselves the Sons of Liberty should be a wake up call to everyone looking to government to make things better. Government needs to get the hell out of the way.
Blaming the welfare state on the freedom to trade requires an uncommon misunderstanding of basic economic theory and current events.
So, you think China and other countries actually favor “free trade” like you do?
Are you serious?
Do you think China shares your viewpoints on “freedom”?
Want to know what happens if a member of my family buys something that came from China (brought in by one of those willing buyers/sellers) that harms them, like toys with lead, or contaminated tooth paste?
One of those willing buyers/sellers is going to get stabbed in their eye.