dear, if we have no trade outside our USA borders there is still competition within our borders. But, if we have free trade within our borders and also with the entire world then there is much much more competition and so the quality of goods and services ( and our standard of living) rises much faster.
Do you understand now or does your liberal IQ prevent it??
Why do you insist with this false premise. We have always had trade with the world and therefore competition. Competition is not dependent on free trade. Did you not prove that with your auto industry example? Can you summon the courage to admit it and move this discussion along?
Free trade isn't about competition. It is about undermining the sovereignty of nations. Congress was given the authority to regulate commerce. Free trade agreements wrest that authority from the people's representatives and gives it to the corporations.
The truth of the matter is, our founders were advocates of free trade, but they also took into consideration an America First trade policy to encourage a strong and vibrant domestic manufacturing base. For example, let review part of our founder's first revenue raising act.
In addition to imposing a specific amount of tax on specifically chosen articles imported, our founding fathers imposed an across-the-board tax on imports which was higher for imports arriving in foreign owned foreign built vessels, and discounted the tax for imports arriving in American owned American built ships:
"...a discount of ten percent on all duties imposed by this Act shall be allowed on such goods, wares, and merchandise as shall be imported in vessels built in the United States, and wholly the property of a citizen or citizens thereof." SEE:
An Act imposing duties on Tonnage July 20, 1789
This patriotic use of taxing at our water’s edge not only filled our national treasury, but gave American ship builders a hometown advantage and predictably resulted in America's ship building industry to flourish and America’s merchant marine to become the most powerful on the face of the planet. Unfortunately, last time I visited the docks in New York's Hell's Kitchen area, I was very saddened that I could no longer read the names on the docked ships as they all seemed to be foreign owned foreign built vessels...an irrefutable sign of America's decline traceable to the ravages of our international “free trade crowd” and a traitorous sellout of America’s sovereignty to the highest international bidders by members of Congress and our presidents, past and present!
The bottom line is, taxing at our water’s edge as our Founding Fathers did helped to pave the way for America to become the economic marvel of the world. And the proof is, by the year1835 America was manufacturing everything from steam powered ships, to clothing spun and woven by powered machinery and the national debt [which included part of the revolutionary war debt] was completely extinguished and Congress enjoyed a surplus in the federal treasury from tariffs, duties, and customs. And so, by an
Act of Congress in June of 1836 all surplus revenue in excess of $ 5,000,000 was decided to be distributed among the states, and eventually a total of $28,000,000 was distributed among the states by the rule of apportionment in the nature of interest free loans to the states to be recalled if and when Congress decided to make such a recall.
JWK
“He has erected a multitude of new offices , and sent hither swarms of officers, to harass our people, and eat out their substance” ___Declaration of Independence
