The Importance of Holding on to the Truth (imported from 3.0!)
By kyle8 Posted in Economy — Comments (1) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
(My first post for 3.0, imported to 2.0)
This subject came up in Pejman’s post about Free trade. It is very important so I thought I would make it my first Dairy post for 3.0
First Pejman lamented the limited enthusiasm in Republican circle for making the argument for free trade.
Then: Sinz52 gave this reply:(edited) Don’t take this message to the Rust Belt and expect McCain to win the election.
Your staunch defense of free trade, which is absolutely hated by union workers and manufacturing workers, is EXACTLY the message that will hand Michigan, Pennsylvania and Ohio to Obama…. I actually agree with you that free trade is a net benefit to the nation—in the long term. But I wouldn’t try to convince the auto workers of Michigan of that this year. Nor the citizens of the industrial centers of Pennsylvania.
Do you want to win this election, or do you want to be ideologically pure?
To which I replied
Well if I have to choose, I will choose the truth
But the mark of true leadership is the ability to explain to people exactly why nations are prosperous.
I have to tell you, free trade should be the easiest thing to sell. There is OVERWHELMING evidence that we have had nearly twenty five years of unprecedented growth and prosperity due to three factors, the largest and most important one being free trade.
If McCain, and we, cannot convince people of this simple fact, if we cannot pierce through the ignorance. If the people are blinded by fear. Then perhaps it were best that we let the Democrats have their way.
Maybe, from time to time, the people are just too stupid, or have short memories and they need to be educated the hard way.
But as for me, I am always, ALWAYS, in favor of standing on principle when you know you are right. In not being a me too, Republican, and in always offering a clear distinction between the two parties.
If you are wondering what the other two things I was talking about are that gave us so much prosperity it was Low marginal tax rates, and the revolution in personal computers and information retrieval.
But all those factors, trade, tax and regulation policy, and technological innovation work together. Only by unleashing freedom, not by actions of big government can you get true prosperity. There is enough evidence of this now to convince anyone who is not blinded by ideology.
We should never stop preaching our views, because we are right! Empirically, absolutely correct. If we have chosen an imperfect vessel to sell our beliefs, a person who might not really believe himself. Well then that is our fault, better luck next time.
everyone ignores me, I am so unloved.
"Nothing works like freedom, Nothing succeeds like liberty"
Kyle