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Ron Edwards, 01/06/05
You may or may not agree, but Free Trade in it's present form is a detriment to our republic. In fact "We the People" have
been lied to long enough. What blows my mind is how so many individuals can believe such flat our untruths that wouldn't
stand up to proper scrutiny. There exists a dichotomy at present in the circle of economic theorists. One school of thought
claims that the ability to consume is the proof of a nation's wealth.
The other holds that it is the ability of a nation to produce. Which of these theories is embedded in truth?
Despite what the revisionists have said, the truth is that the British peoples never deliberately set our aggressively build an
empire. What this "nation of shopkeepers did do is set out to trade the world to the home base in England. These raw
materials were manufactured into finished domestic consumption, the surplus was exported. By the mid 1800s, Britain
produced double the output of the United States, with Europe's future industrial giant Germany, not even beginning to
figure the equation.
To that point in history, the British held to a "British trade first" policy, protecting their home manufacturing base from a
foreign competition. The empire was self-supporting, the most wealthy collection of nations ever seen. What's more,
Britain enjoyed absolute sovereignty. All of that changed in 1860 when "enlightened" politicians embraced the free-trade
economic policies of John Stuart Mill. Competition from cheaply produced sometimes inferior quality, low-cost goods
made in foreign nations began to flood the markets. The abandonment of protection over it's home manufacturers
resulted, barely 50 years later, In Britain producing less than half the output of America. By 1914, Britain had even been
surpassed by a German industrial economy that had not existed half a century before.
Today, Great Britain's trading empire, source of its past wealth is gone, its formerly great industrial base stripped away,
largely gobbled up by foreign enterprise,even strategic services, such as its postal system, water distribution, publishing,
telecommunications and parts facilities, increasingly are being captured by its ( former?) enemies.
During the intervening time, what has happened to the United States?
Consider....
In the founding days of this Republic, Alexander Hamilton delivered his "Report on Manufactures" A former aid to
Hamilton had noted a profound strategic weakness during America's revolutionary war the country had simply been
dependent upon France for the provision of armaments. Hamilton vowed to mend this great national weakness.
Not only the wealth, but the independence and security of a nation, appear to be materially connected with the
"prosperity of manufacturers" He wrote"Every nation...ought to endeavor to possess within itself all the essentials of national
supply. These compromise the mans of subsistence,habiations clothing and defense.
For over 100 years following Hamiltons dictum US Government followed his wise examples. The result was that by the start
of WW1 in 1914, the US had become the wealthiest single nation on earth. As Patrick S. Buchanan correctly stated
"the self-sufficieny and industrial power Hamilton policies created and enabled us to rearm in security, crush the Axis in
four years, rebuild Europe and Japan, and outlast the Soviet Empire in a Cold War, while meeting all of the needs of our
people" (American Conservative, Aug 11, 03) But after the war the Woodrow Wilsonian philosophy of opening the U.S.
Home market to foreign competition started te American economy on a downhill run. With the revival post WW II Japan
and Europe (particularly Germany) foreign competition or government mandated free trade started to bite. What Japan
and Germany obtained through hot war, they were seizing by government manipulated free trade! The U.S. was rapidly
changing from a dominant net exporter to becoming a gluttonous consumer of imported goods.
What has become of our nations economic and strategic independence? Author Pat Choate in his recent book
"Agents of Influence" lists the following levels of dependence that the U.S., now has on foreign (in some cases enemy
nations) for the supply of strategically critical goods: metal working machinery 51% engines and power equipment, 56%
computer equipment,70% communications equipment 67% semiconductors and electronics -64%.
The U.S. has become , once again dependent on foreign imports to sustain its military. A scary proposition indeed. Our
so called government of the people and by the people prefers to sustain this dangerous course. Believe it or not , both the
Pentagon and U.S. Industrialists joined forces in July 2003 to oppose wise legislation that would have required a 65%
American content in weapon procured for Americas defense.
That is military and economic suicide!
The outcome is totally predictable. There are precedents the first chancellor of Germany Count Otto Von Bismark,
understood the clear connection between industry, wealth and sovereignty. In 1834 he created a customs union, the
Zollverein, as a strategic move in his quest for a German empire. He maintained without and reliance on foreign countries
for their supply. In short Germany formed this close union of European trading partners for aggressive purposes to prepare
for imperial expansion through warfare.
Compare this experience with what is happening in Europe today, the German dominated European union has developed
from a post war protected common market into what is already, a self-sufficient empire in the making that hates America. It
has a massive global industrial base, producing wealth and a powerful military. The E. U. is now in the uppermost league
of federal economies. Its new constitution will establish the European Union as a sovereign federal super state, in
exchange for individual member nations sacrificing their own national sovereignty.
Alexander Hamilton was right, the old Britons were right. Bismark was right, though the motivations of each was different
they all acknowledged a great truism currently ignored by the republics so called current leaders.
In the words of Patrick Buchanan, "Free Trade does to a nation what (alcoholism) does to a man.
Saps him first of his vitality, then his energy, then his independence, then his life".
Let us hope and pray that wisdom will prevail and the proper course of action will be taken to make America truly
independent once again.
send feed back to the author ronedwards@edwardsnotebook.com
You may or may not agree, but Free Trade in it's present form is a detriment to our republic. In fact "We the People" have
been lied to long enough. What blows my mind is how so many individuals can believe such flat our untruths that wouldn't
stand up to proper scrutiny. There exists a dichotomy at present in the circle of economic theorists. One school of thought
claims that the ability to consume is the proof of a nation's wealth.
The other holds that it is the ability of a nation to produce. Which of these theories is embedded in truth?
Despite what the revisionists have said, the truth is that the British peoples never deliberately set our aggressively build an
empire. What this "nation of shopkeepers did do is set out to trade the world to the home base in England. These raw
materials were manufactured into finished domestic consumption, the surplus was exported. By the mid 1800s, Britain
produced double the output of the United States, with Europe's future industrial giant Germany, not even beginning to
figure the equation.
To that point in history, the British held to a "British trade first" policy, protecting their home manufacturing base from a
foreign competition. The empire was self-supporting, the most wealthy collection of nations ever seen. What's more,
Britain enjoyed absolute sovereignty. All of that changed in 1860 when "enlightened" politicians embraced the free-trade
economic policies of John Stuart Mill. Competition from cheaply produced sometimes inferior quality, low-cost goods
made in foreign nations began to flood the markets. The abandonment of protection over it's home manufacturers
resulted, barely 50 years later, In Britain producing less than half the output of America. By 1914, Britain had even been
surpassed by a German industrial economy that had not existed half a century before.
Today, Great Britain's trading empire, source of its past wealth is gone, its formerly great industrial base stripped away,
largely gobbled up by foreign enterprise,even strategic services, such as its postal system, water distribution, publishing,
telecommunications and parts facilities, increasingly are being captured by its ( former?) enemies.
During the intervening time, what has happened to the United States?
Consider....
In the founding days of this Republic, Alexander Hamilton delivered his "Report on Manufactures" A former aid to
Hamilton had noted a profound strategic weakness during America's revolutionary war the country had simply been
dependent upon France for the provision of armaments. Hamilton vowed to mend this great national weakness.
Not only the wealth, but the independence and security of a nation, appear to be materially connected with the
"prosperity of manufacturers" He wrote"Every nation...ought to endeavor to possess within itself all the essentials of national
supply. These compromise the mans of subsistence,habiations clothing and defense.
For over 100 years following Hamiltons dictum US Government followed his wise examples. The result was that by the start
of WW1 in 1914, the US had become the wealthiest single nation on earth. As Patrick S. Buchanan correctly stated
"the self-sufficieny and industrial power Hamilton policies created and enabled us to rearm in security, crush the Axis in
four years, rebuild Europe and Japan, and outlast the Soviet Empire in a Cold War, while meeting all of the needs of our
people" (American Conservative, Aug 11, 03) But after the war the Woodrow Wilsonian philosophy of opening the U.S.
Home market to foreign competition started te American economy on a downhill run. With the revival post WW II Japan
and Europe (particularly Germany) foreign competition or government mandated free trade started to bite. What Japan
and Germany obtained through hot war, they were seizing by government manipulated free trade! The U.S. was rapidly
changing from a dominant net exporter to becoming a gluttonous consumer of imported goods.
What has become of our nations economic and strategic independence? Author Pat Choate in his recent book
"Agents of Influence" lists the following levels of dependence that the U.S., now has on foreign (in some cases enemy
nations) for the supply of strategically critical goods: metal working machinery 51% engines and power equipment, 56%
computer equipment,70% communications equipment 67% semiconductors and electronics -64%.
The U.S. has become , once again dependent on foreign imports to sustain its military. A scary proposition indeed. Our
so called government of the people and by the people prefers to sustain this dangerous course. Believe it or not , both the
Pentagon and U.S. Industrialists joined forces in July 2003 to oppose wise legislation that would have required a 65%
American content in weapon procured for Americas defense.
That is military and economic suicide!
The outcome is totally predictable. There are precedents the first chancellor of Germany Count Otto Von Bismark,
understood the clear connection between industry, wealth and sovereignty. In 1834 he created a customs union, the
Zollverein, as a strategic move in his quest for a German empire. He maintained without and reliance on foreign countries
for their supply. In short Germany formed this close union of European trading partners for aggressive purposes to prepare
for imperial expansion through warfare.
Compare this experience with what is happening in Europe today, the German dominated European union has developed
from a post war protected common market into what is already, a self-sufficient empire in the making that hates America. It
has a massive global industrial base, producing wealth and a powerful military. The E. U. is now in the uppermost league
of federal economies. Its new constitution will establish the European Union as a sovereign federal super state, in
exchange for individual member nations sacrificing their own national sovereignty.
Alexander Hamilton was right, the old Britons were right. Bismark was right, though the motivations of each was different
they all acknowledged a great truism currently ignored by the republics so called current leaders.
In the words of Patrick Buchanan, "Free Trade does to a nation what (alcoholism) does to a man.
Saps him first of his vitality, then his energy, then his independence, then his life".
Let us hope and pray that wisdom will prevail and the proper course of action will be taken to make America truly
independent once again.
send feed back to the author ronedwards@edwardsnotebook.com
The Lie
that Ruined
Britain and
is Breaking
America
that Ruined
Britain and
is Breaking
America
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