Libertarian Institute, July 17, 2024 Tariffs Are Bipartisan Enemies of Freedom by James Bovard President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump both portray tariffs as magic wands to create national prosperity. Trump is calling for a 10% across-the-board tariff on imports, while Biden is imposing selective tariffs that he portrays as miracle cures for […]
Tag Archives | protectionism
Thumping Politicians, Protectionists, and Pilferers on Chicago Radio with Shaun Thompson
Shaun Thompson and I whupped a bunch of politicians and federal agencies this evening on Chicago’s The Answer AM 560. Shaun, the host of the Liberty Hour program, mentioned that he first read my articles in Playboy . He mentioned that before the magazine tanked, it featured transgender models. I said that Playboy had greatly […]
Biden Perpetuates Washington’s Idiotic Steel Trade Policies
Biden Perpetuates Washington’s Idiotic Steel Trade Policies 04/19/2024 • Mises Wire • James Bovard Joe Biden is seeking to boost his reelection campaign by torpedoing Chinese imports. In an April 17 speech in Pittsburgh, the symbolic heart of the steel industry, Biden announced that he asked his US trade representative to triple tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminum imports. […]
Macaulay and My 75-Cent Epiphanies, Part 1
Macaulay and My 75-Cent Epiphanies, Part 1 by James Bovard Fearing that my writing style was becoming anemic, I recently sought a literary booster shot from my bookshelves. Happily, a dozen volumes of Thomas Macaulay awaited me. Macaulay made history mesmerizing, and I have been captivated by his speed, grace, and wit for 40 years. […]
D.C.’s “Best Information Available” Charade
American Institute for Economic Research, February 19, 2022 D.C.’s “Best Information Available” Charade James Bovard On a sweltering June morning in 1993, I loitered in a long line of people stretched down a football-field length hallway on the third floor of the headquarters of the US Commerce Department. The queue started outside the entrance of […]
Protectionism Is Immoral, Unjust, and Corrupt
Mises Institute, October 27, 2021 Protectionism Is Immoral, Unjust, and Corrupt by James Bovard Protectionism is reviving in Washington on both sides of the political aisle. Democrats are cheering proposals to restrict trade to benefit labor unions and save the environment while some Republicans are reviving Smoot-Hawley style salvation schemes. Protectionist advocates routinely seize the […]
Fair Trade Is Still a Fraud
American Institute for Economic Research, October 20, 2021 Fair Trade Is Still a Fraud James Bovard The Biden administration is embracing the same flawed “fair trade” mantra that previous administrations used to sanctify protectionist policies. Biden’s team has “largely dispensed with the idea of free trade as a goal in and of itself,” the New […]