I'm tired of the anti-trade attitude espoused by Ron Paul Republicans, so I started a pro-free trade thread here (URL: http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=255008). Apparently, Ron Paul supporters don't realize that Ron Paul is pro-free trade. Basically, the pro-free market Ron Paul movement has been infiltrated by a bunch of Pat Buchanan-esque conservative socialists. That's why I started that thread. If Ron Paul "supporters" see what Mises had to say, maybe they'll rethink their positions on trade. The only problem is that I won't be able to monitor the thread that much, so does anyone want to lend a helping hand?
Thanks, kaju
Political Atheists Blog
I felt like I was the only one who had a problem with that forum. I used to lurk there without posting and a lot of it is just mainly people blindly following Ron Paul in the same way a person might have done with Obama in 08. It's the reason why I choose this forum over that one since the level of discussion and thought is much higher here.
I didn't read your post yet since I wanted to state my opinion on the matter before I did, but I strongly agree with your opinion.
That might be interesting. Im pending approval on my account but ill chip in a little. It will be nice to declare ourselves as friends to the Ron Paul movement, merely facilitating better economic understanding etc.
This is amusing because my local C4L and Ron Paul meetup groups keep spamming me with fascist political and anti-immigration adds. I'll join in!
Looks like a snr dude's got it.
Looks like the thread is still going on
I guess it's unavoidable for every political movement that some (most?) of its supporters don't know what they're voting for.
I felt like I was the only one who had a problem with that forum. I used to lurk there without posting and a lot of it is just mainly people blindly following Ron Paul in the same way a person might have done with Obama in 08. It's the reason why I choose this forum over that one since the level of discussion and thought is much higher here. I didn't read your post yet since I wanted to state my opinion on the matter before I did, but I strongly agree with your opinion.
I wouldn't overgeneralize all of RPFs like that. While there are certainly many paleocons there, there was a poll there that showed almost a third of active members there are voluntaryists/ancaps.
The protectionist says "no free trade with that totalitarian state over there. They use slave labor and oppress the people. We must have trade barriers against them, their low wage rates will drive down our living standards, and they are evil people too", etc.
Assuming we have an unhampered market here (no central bank), what is the libertarian argument in support of free trade with the totalitarian state "over there"?
Is the argument any different than what Krazy Kazu laid out in the opening post on the RP forum?
Does the libertarian argument change given that one of the trading parties is totalitarian?
"The market is a process." - Ludwig von Mises, as related by Israel Kirzner. "Capital formation is a beautiful thing" - Chloe732.
I've always wondered myself how a society that engages in free trade could compete with its export/import ratio against a nation that puts up tariffs and other barriers to trade.
You don't trade for the export/import ratio, you trade for the goods you want.
Ugh, sorry, I forgot to keep track of the thread. I'll get on it soon...
chloe:Does the libertarian argument change given that one of the trading parties is totalitarian?
No. Why would it?
Some guy named LiveFree79 wrote:
I love Mises.......a person who thinks a society that can map the human genome and send men to the moon can't organize and calculate a complex economy.
LOL!