Markets (when free) seek a level much like water. If I fill a glass half full of water, what is the chance that all the water would be on one side of the glass? The same chance as your economic model has of becoming a reality. The "loss of jobs" you point to as a crisis would certainly be curtailed (by the market) when, on balance, displaced workers become unable to find more productive (read: more highly valued) work than they had prior to their job being exported; as this would create a net loss to our economy.
Shall I assume you would petition our rulers to ban the creation of all labor-saving devices on the grounds that they cost jobs? If not, why? Also, would your state be better off if it imposed a tariff on all goods imported from other states? If not, why?
The net loss to "our" economy is not important in a "global" economy. As long as some one buys the goods the jobs will naturally go to the lowest paid worker, therefore your analysis that the job loss will stop simply does not make sense.
Markets (when free) seek a level much like water. If I fill a glass half full of water, what is the chance that all the water would be on one side of the glass? The same chance as your economic model has of becoming a reality. The "loss of jobs" you point to as a crisis would certainly be curtailed (by the market) when, on balance, displaced workers become unable to find more productive (read: more highly valued) work than they had prior to their job being exported; as this would create a net loss to our economy.
Shall I assume you would petition our rulers to ban the creation of all labor-saving devices on the grounds that they cost jobs? If not, why? Also, would your state be better off if it imposed a tariff on all goods imported from other states? If not, why?
If someone believes in free trade, then they should believe in it 100% - that means "all" jobs.
Free traders believe that all wages should settle at the "world price" of labor.
Since no american individual would work at the "world free trade price" of labor, no american would need to work anymore. United States government assistance and welfare is higher than the world price of labor. It would be stupid for any american to hold a job at the wage level of chinese peasants, chinese doctors, chinese lawyers, etc.
We would purchase goods and services with welfare checks.
The american corporations, which would be making gobs of money thru cheap labor, would ultimately pay the entire income tax for the funding of the social programs.
Someone already proposed a 10% tarriff on all goods produced in other countries, along giving those all revenues from the 10% tarriff directly to american citizens. Seems workable to me, or maybe 20%. That is a nice check for each citizen, maybe no need for most citizens to work depending on how much we take in from the tarriff.