On Point: National Security Considerations Demand Exceptions Be Made
Ezoic
by Austin Bay
October 30, 2024
In a recent post discussing shifting U.S. domestic political views, John Hinderaker of Powerlineblog.com noted "that many conservatives have changed their ideology ... in response to events. Pretty much all of us grew up as doctrinaire free traders, but events since the 1980s have convinced many -- including me -- that while free trade is the default assumption, it is not the whole story. National security considerations demand that exceptions be made."
Adam Smith, the father of free enterprise and classic free trade, wasn't a free trade absolutist. Smith wrote that the only thing more important than luxury (wealth) was security -- more specifically, a state's ability to protect its physical security and to secure its interests.
In his first administration, President Donald Trump used tariffs as leverage to secure U.S. interests. This included returning manufacturing capacity to U.S. soil -- industrial capacity to produce cars and air conditioners but also weapons, ammunition and fuel.
https://www.strategypage.com/on_point/20241030204035.aspx#google_vignette&gsc.tab=0
