Trade War: Tariffs Are Needed To Defeat Globalism But They Come With a Cost

Kevin Dully writes:

… But Brandon Smith’s article, “Trade War: Tariffs Are Needed To Defeat Globalism But They Come With a Cost,” brought about a visceral reaction.

Smith claimed that “Austrian economists in their opposition to tariffs operate on the assumption that large corporations are ‘free market’ entities. They also assume that globalism is a product of free markets.”  Not true.  It’s actually an absurd parody of the true Austrian position.  We assume two parties voluntary exchange for mutual gain.  That’s it.

Consider the argument Smith is making: “It’s not a free market, therefore more government intervention is justified.”  Such thinking can only pave the way for endless interventions.

Btw, are Lululemon, Shake Shack, Crocs and Skechers horrible creatures of globalism or simply companies serving consumers and trying to make a buck?  These companies all do business in China, rewarding shareholders and Chinese consumers while creating interdependence between two countries that can’t seem to get along thanks to their governments (actually, thanks almost entirely to the U.S. government).  I call that heroic.  We should be thanking them, not subjecting them to the whims of a self-defeating trade war.

The post Trade War: Tariffs Are Needed To Defeat Globalism But They Come With a Cost appeared first on LewRockwell.