"When goods don't cross borders, soldiers will."
Frederic Bastiat (1801-1850)
How many times do we have to learn the lesson from history that we learn nothing from history?
By that I mean, how many times have nations
created their demise by determining that since they did not have
something they would simply go get it from some other nation?
Does Bastiat mean to say that economics can keep world peace?
It probably can! But only if each nation regards trade in the same light - fair, free, without huge tariffs, without pirating.
Will that day ever come? Probably not!
There are people to keep in power!
Production that needs protection! Competitive advantage that needs not
be shared! Politics that must be foisted on this or that populace!
Regulation must restrict and divert and limit and crush!
The key word in Mr. Bastiat's quote is not there. The key word is FREEDOM.
People must be free to make ideas into realities.
People must be free to turn those realities into production.
People must be free to innovate that production and recreate it into something better and cheaper.
People must be free to find markets and offer their wares to those markets.
People must be free to get their wares to those markets.
People must be free to turn those realities into production.
People must be free to innovate that production and recreate it into something better and cheaper.
People must be free to find markets and offer their wares to those markets.
People must be free to get their wares to those markets.
AND THE PEOPLE IN THOSE MARKETS MUST BE FREE AND ABLE TO PURCHASE THOSE GOODS! A RISING TIDE IN ALL THOSE MARKETS WILL RAISE ALL BOATS!
And if the market is in another country
that can use that produced ware, wants to purchase that produced ware,
and can become itself more productive or satisfied with that produced
ware, why stand in the way of the entrepreneur who wants to offer that
created and produced ware for sale?
For certainly, we have learned from history
that when a country cannot produce for itself what it needs for its own markets, or its people need for their own satisfaction, it will
find a means of taking it.
And history says that without the rising tide, with the next rising sun we may see another Rising Sun.
Very well said... A rising tide raises all boats.
ReplyDeleteI've been reading John Stossel's new book: No They Can't. I recommend it to everyone - and especially recommend that parents encourage their high school and college age children to read it and think about the message.
We don't NEED all this interference with our freedoms.
Thanks for stopping by Marte! When there is so much interference, by definition, there is less freedom. That's what Milton Friedman meant when he said there was an invisible hand directing the market, and the invisible foot of gubment standing on it!
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