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"Protectionism" ultimately rests upon the threat to use violence against innocent persons engaged in peaceful commerce. Most of the time the coercive nature of protectionism is concealed — out of view — because consumers and producers harmed by it are deterred by the threat of violence from freely trading: the coercive nature of protectionism remains largely hidden. The thieves persuade the state to perform the threats; it all looks so clean and antiseptic and ‘policy-ish.’
Sometimes, though, protectionism reveals its disfigured, snarling face and its nasty, swinging fists — as made plain by this NPR report on some French winemakers who are violently interfering with the commerce of innocent people [2] for no reason other than to prevent consumers from patronizing other sellers.