Is Protectionism ever appropriate?

[ingemann]

2&3 (Infant industries and worker's rights)
Otherwise free trade is ok.

So free trade are okay with no other countries?

[ingemann]

So free trade are okay with no other countries?

What do you mean? In general I support free trade but I support protectionism against countries with bad human rights, labor, and environmental records and to protect infant industries from competition, if you were wondering what I meant.

Okay so only free trade with developing economies are bad. Well I'm not always a fan of free trade (of much the same reasons), but I'm less of a fan of keeping people in permanent poverty because they're unable to develop. Free trade agreements have moved millions out of poverty and resulted in improvements on all those areas you mentioned, when their economy developed.

[ingemann]

Yes, when a nation is industrializing, its's infant industries need protection. However, after they have been established, free trade benefits everyone.

yeah, it sure has benefited those industrial workers who went from making $25/hour+benefits to making $7.25/hour part-time with no benefits at McDonald's amirite

No, we just have to act as if everything is alright and that if you just get one more job then you can have your ends meet. Suburban kids talking about how "free trade benefits everyone" is extremely laughable.

It doesn't benefit everyones, but the disappearance of the well off industrial worker are not a unique American phenomen, and many countries have avoided similar impoverishment. The low paid service workers are a result of the expansion of the supply of unskilled workers rather than a result of outsourcing.