Protectionism and Free Trade

Since the original sugar tariff of 1789, US government policy has been to subsidize sugar, a policy that has led to serious consequences, including a health crisis of obesity.

From the various compromises pushed by "Beltway Libertarians" to the anti-free market rhetoric of conservative Sohrab Ahmari, government intervention has a lot of new friends. This will not end well.

On yet another crusade, US authorities have sanctioned Chinese cotton imports. The sanctions won't change Chinese policies but they will create hardships for many.

From the various compromises pushed by "Beltway Libertarians" to the anti-free market rhetoric of conservative Sohrab Ahmari, government intervention has a lot of new friends. This will not end well.

On yet another crusade, US authorities have sanctioned Chinese cotton imports. The sanctions won't change Chinese policies but they will create hardships for many.

Free trade has its enemies on the left and the right. However, despite the supposed “sophistication” of their antitrade arguments, when we break them down, those arguments really are sophistry.

Protectionists falsely claim that free trade provides only negative consequences to the economy while simultaneously claiming protectionism provides net benefits.

President Biden is trying to entice Vietnam to enter into an alliance with the USA to try to "contain" China and its Asian ambitions. This will not end well.

In the wake of the Arab Oil Embargo of 50 years ago, Congress banned U.S. export sales of crude oil. The results were different than what government "experts" imagined.

In the spirit of Walter Block's classic Defending the Undefendable, Kevin Duffy looks at the "undefendable" investments and economic choices and finds them profitable.