Posted by Sasha Volokh:
Free trade petition:
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2009_03_15-2009_03_21.shtml#1237471286
My friend [1]Tom Palmer, with his colleagues at the [2]Atlas Global
Initiative for Free Trade, Peace, and Prosperity, is (as part of a
larger campaign) circulating a [3]free trade petition, which will be
unveiled on April 1st before the G20 meetings in London. He encourages
everyone, especially (but not only) economists, to sign it, and to
share it with friends, colleagues, professors, and the like. (I also
recommend that people cross-post this on their blogs, especially
econny blogs.)
Here's the [4]text of the petition:
Free Trade Is the Best Policy
The specter of protectionism is rising. It is always a dangerous
and foolish policy, but it is especially dangerous at a time of
economic crisis, when it threatens to damage the world economy.
Protectionism�s peculiar premise is that national prosperity is
increased when government grants monopoly power to domestic
producers. As centuries of economic reasoning, historical
experience, and empirical studies have repeatedly shown, that
premise is dead wrong. Protectionism creates poverty, not
prosperity. Protectionism doesn�t even �protect� domestic jobs or
industries; it destroys them, by harming export industries and
industries that rely on imports to make their goods. Raising the
local prices of steel by �protecting� local steel companies just
raises the cost of producing cars and the many other goods made
with steel. Protectionism is a fool�s game.
But the fact that protectionism destroys wealth is not its worst
consequence. Protectionism destroys peace. That is justification
enough for all people of good will, all friends of civilization, to
speak out loudly and forcefully against economic nationalism, an
ideology of conflict, based on ignorance and carried into practice
by protectionism.
Two hundred and fifty years ago, Montesquieu observed that �Peace
is the natural effect of trade. Two nations who differ with each
other become reciprocally dependent; for if one has an interest in
buying, the other has an interest in selling; and thus their union
is founded on their mutual necessities.�
Trade�s most valuable product is peace. Trade promotes peace, in
part, by uniting different peoples in a common culture of commerce
� a daily process of learning others� languages, social norms,
laws, expectations, wants, and talents.
Trade promotes peace by encouraging people to build bonds of
mutually beneficial cooperation. Just as trade unites the economic
interests of Paris and Lyon, of Boston and Seattle, of Calcutta and
Mumbai, trade also unites the economic interests of Paris and
Portland, of Boston and Berlin, of Calcutta and Copenhagen � of the
peoples of all nations who trade with other.
A great deal of rigorous empirical research supports the
proposition that trade promotes peace.
Perhaps the most tragic example of what happens when that insight
is ignored is World War II.
International trade collapsed by 70 percent between 1929 and 1932,
in no small part because of America�s 1930 Smoot-Hawley tariff and
the retaliatory tariffs of other nations. Economist Martin Wolf
notes that �this collapse in trade was a huge spur to the search
for autarky and Lebensraum, most of all for Germany and Japan.�
The most ghastly and deadly wars in human history soon followed.
By reducing war, trade saves lives.
Trade saves lives also by increasing prosperity and extending it to
more and more people. The evidence that freer trade promotes
prosperity is simply overwhelming. Prosperity enables ordinary men
and women to lead longer and healthier lives.
And with longer, healthier lives lived more peacefully, people
integrated into the global economy have more time to enjoy the vast
array of cultural experiences brought to them by free trade.
Culture is enriched by contributions from around the world, made
possible by free trade in goods and in ideas.
Without a doubt, free trade increases material prosperity. But its
greatest gift is not easily measured with money. That greatest gift
is lives that are freer, fuller, and far less likely to be scalded
or destroyed by the atrocities of war.
Accordingly, we the undersigned join together in a plea to the
governments of all nations to resist the calls of the short-sighted
and the greedy to raise higher the barriers to trade. In addition,
we call on them to tear down current protectionist barriers to free
trade. To each government, we say: let your citizens enjoy not only
the fruits of your own fields, factories, and genius, but also
those of the entire globe. The rewards will be greater prosperity,
richer lives, and enjoyment of the blessings of peace.
Again, the link to sign the petition is [5]here.
References
1. http://tomgpalmer.com/
2. http://atlasnetwork.org/globalinitiative/
3. http://atlasnetwork.org/tradepetition/
4. http://atlasnetwork.org/tradepetition/
5. http://atlasnetwork.org/tradepetition/
_______________________________________________
Volokh mailing list
[email protected]
http://lists.powerblogs.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/volokh
