I can’t count the number of times I’ve had the following conversation with a protectionist:
Me: I favor a policy of unilateral free trade, which requires no trade agreements with other governments.
Protectionist: That’s nuts! Why should we lower our tariffs when other governments don’t lower theirs? That would be unilateral economic disarmament!
Me (after explaining why unilateral tariff reductions would benefit us, and why such war metaphors are inappropriate): Well, absent a unilateral move to free trade – which, unfortunately, is politically impossible today – I’m willing to condition our tariff reductions on other countries’ tariff reductions. But the only way to make this second-best outcome a reality is through either bilateral or multilateral trade agreements. Agreements such as NAFTA, the GATT, and the WTO have indeed made trade freer worldwide.
Protectionist: What?! You praise the likes of NAFTA and the WTO?! You’re a globalist! You’re wiling to sacrifice America’s sacred sovereignty on the alter of your false religion of so-called “free trade” – which, you admit, requires some sort of international governance that will inevitably put the interests of foreigners over that of Americans. No wonder sensible people don’t take the case for “free trade” seriously.
Me: I need a drink.
