FYI from BATR

Free trade would benefit the vast majority of people by raising their standard of living. But government officials, owned and operated by special interests, see to it that we get "fair trade" or a "level playing field" instead. A key element of the mercantilism Adam Smith urged countries to abolish, protectionism is one of the many ways government makes us worse off.

What happens when free trade is adopted? As Carlos A. Ball writes, Pinochet's much vilified socialist government in Chile has lowered tariffs and repealed import quotas, giving their countrymen the highest standard of living in Latin America. If "capitalism" imposes trade restrictions, is it any wonder "the Third World prefers socialism?"