I realize that Donald, not Milton, was on the ballot in 2016. I recognized that I would have philosophical differences with the president from time to time. Given that he is in his second year, it is surprising to me how infrequent those gentlemen's disagreements have arisen. It's going to take a lot more than this to get me to jump off the Trump Train.
The case for tariffs confirms a bias for simplism (not a bias for simplicity.) The protectionist viewpoint can be reduced to a slogan but the defense of free trade requires intellectual substance. That requires time, effort and thought.
We see something similar in the gun debate. The gun-grabbers resort to chants, slogans, name-calling, half-truths, and insults. Brevity minus the wit. It takes time and effort to promote the counter intuitive argument that the proliferation of guns is the best method of preventing gun violence.
So too, free trade. Populism is a double-edged sword and the American consumer might have to take it on the chin from the "pay just a few pennies more if we make it here" purveyors of simplism. Fortunately, we have the words of Milton Friedman to put things in perspective.
There is so much more. I am tempted to post every Friedman video ever taped, but not right now. This one spells out the merits of free trade--especially for the consumer--a little bit better.
Milton lives!
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