Frederic Bastiat Quotes

The philosophy of protectionism is a philosophy of war.

When the new states of Europe were created by the Treaty of Versailles their new governments, lacking revenue and not daring to impose direct taxes on their people, resorted to the dangerous expedient of imposing high taxes at the border on merchandise seeking to enter their markets from abroad. An immediate slowing down of commerce resulted.

We all know that China is not a free trader. That's the reality.

If Texas and Kansas were countries they wouldn't be admitted to the World Trade Organization. Their policies are congruent with North Korea, Somalia, Turkestan, several other countries I can't pronounce and Micronesia.

Trade protection accumulates upon a single point the good which it effects, while the evil inflicted is infused throughout the mass. The one strikes the eye at a first glance, while the other becomes perceptible only to close investigation.

I worry about protectionists, which is another way of saying less competition, less trade around the world. And I view those as twins of negativity.

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 protectionism teaches us, is to do to ourselves in time of peace what enemies seek to do to us in time of war.

When America closes its doors, so does everybody else.

We wake up to find the whole world building competitive trade barriers, just as we found it a few years ago building competitive armaments. We are trying to reduce armaments to preserve the world's solvency. We shall have to reduce competitive trade barriers to preserve the world's sanity. As between the two, trade barriers are more destructive than armaments and more threatening to the peace of the world.

The philosophy of protectionism is a philosophy of war. The wars of our age are not at variance with popular economic doctrines; they are, on the contrary, the inescapable result of a consistent application of these doctrines.

Sanctions are not diplomacy. They are a precursor to war and an embarrassment to a country that pays lip service to free trade.

While foreign competitors, French or Japanese or German, merrily bid for contracts abroad, American companies find themselves tangled in a web of legislation designed to express disapproval, block trade in certain commodities, or perhaps deny resources to disfavored or hostile regimes.

To try to correct imbalances with trade restrictions is a grave error.

A trade war is a conflict in which each side uses most of its ammunition to shoot itself in the foot.

I am utterly opposed to anything which will alter the Free Trade character of this country.

The arguments for protection are more easily made attractive than those for free trade.

I believe the Japanese set ceilings on what they will buy from foreign companies.

Protectionism is the ally of isolationism, and isolationism is the Dracula of American foreign policy.

What protectionism teaches us, is to do to ourselves in time of peace what enemies seek to do to us in time of war.

The thing that we have to worry about is this protectionist movement that has reared its head again in this country

[Vladimir] Putin trampled on international rules and sovereignty of the Ukraine.

Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama all used temporarily targeted tariffs on specific industries.

There are some who want to move us back to the days when we were protectionists and keep all goods off our shores.

Consider trade protectionism. It's been tried - and found wanting - since the Great Depression.

Inward-looking unilateral trade policies invite retaliation.