Freedom, Not Tariff, Is the Most Beautiful Word in the Dictionary

“Protective tariffs restrict the range of alternatives open to people by limiting mutually beneficial exchanges; they misallocate scarce resources; and weaken the dynamic gains from trade. Most important, they expand the power of the state, erode the rule of law, and attenuate individual freedom.”

- rest of article at https://www.cato.org/blog/freedom-not-tariff-most-beautiful-word-dictionary

Tariffs and duties are the only "taxes" our government should have. Protect our own businesses and livelihood.

Dr. Bob said:

Protect our own businesses and livelihood.

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A major flaw with protectionism is that it protects some at the expense of others, puts money in the pockets of some and takes money from the pockets of others.

Dr. Bob said:

Tariffs and duties are the only "taxes" our government should have.

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Are you advocating for Arkansas putting tariffs on goods coming in from Louisiana, Missouri putting tariffs on goods coming in from Arkansas, etc.?

Federalstas, not states or cities. US nation needs very little money to run (do what Constitution says)

Remember Fed income tax dismal failure in Civil War era and quickly abandoned. Not until 1913 modern system began, and only because promise to only tax rich.

Dr. Bob said:

Not until 1913

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When the U.S. went off of the classical gold standard.

Dr. Bob said:

US nation needs very little money to run (do what Constitution says)

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Tariffs are still a bad idea, regardless of the size of the government.

The amount of money needed would be even littler by basically returning to the first constitution of the U.S. - the Articles of Confederation of 1781.

“Our peaceful trading partners are not our enemies; they are our allies. We should beware of the demagogues who are ready to declare a trade war against our friends—weakening our economy, our national security, and the entire free world—all while cynically waving the American flag. The expansion of the international economy is not a foreign invasion; it is an American triumph, one we worked hard to achieve, and something central to our vision of a peaceful and prosperous world of freedom.”

- President Ronald Reagan

"Free trade consists simply in letting people buy and sell as they want to buy and sell. It is protection that requires force, for it consists in preventing people from doing what they want to do. Protective tariffs are as much applications of force as are blockading squadrons, and their object is the same—to prevent trade. The difference between the two is that blockading squadrons are a means whereby nations seek to prevent their enemies from trading; protective tariffs are a means whereby nations attempt to prevent their own people from trading. What protection teaches us, is to do to ourselves in time of peace what enemies seek to do to us in time of war."

- Henry George

KenH said:

“Protective tariffs restrict the range of alternatives open to people by limiting mutually beneficial exchanges; they misallocate scarce resources; and weaken the dynamic gains from trade. Most important, they expand the power of the state, erode the rule of law, and attenuate individual freedom.”

- rest of article at https://www.cato.org/blog/freedom-not-tariff-most-beautiful-word-dictionary

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Tariffs was the means our government used before income tax was imposed to raise revenue. How was revenge raised before tariffs?

How was freedom the means for government revenue?

37818 said:

Tariffs was the means our government used before income tax was imposed to raise revenue.

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What would the tariff rate have to be to raise enough money in 2025 to pay for the military and the interest on the national debt and Social Security and Medicare and Medicare, etc.?

KenH said:

What would the tariff rate have to be to raise enough money in 2025 to pay for the military and the interest on the national debt and Social Security and Medicare and Medicare, etc.?

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Good questions.

How did our government raise revenue before tariffs?

Tariffs were before income tax.

Commerce is the.means income is obtained. Ultimately there will be an excese tax of some sort on all products and services up front. Cannot get something for nothing. Anyone have a better understanding, from where?