Obama’s Phony Economic Patriotism

I despise protectionism. Mostly because it is bad economic policy, but also because politicians often use protectionism as a way of diverting attention from their own failures. So when I appeared on Neil Cavuto’s show to comment on President Obama’s criticism of...

Big Government Causes Crime, the Norwegian Version

I’ve written several times about the foolish War on Drugs, which has been about as misguided and ineffective as the government’s War on Poverty. So when I saw a news report about a couple of Swedes getting busted for smuggling 200-plus kilos of contraband into Norway,...

Eight Questions for Protectionists

When asked to pick my most frustrating issue, I could list things from my policy field such as class warfare or income redistribution. But based on all the speeches and media interviews I do, which  periodically venture into other areas, I suspect protectionism vs....

The Only Fair Trade Is Free Trade

Walter Williams explains why politicians and bureaucrats shouldn’t have the power to tell us what we’re allowed to buy. At first blush, the mercantilists’ call for “free trade but fair trade” sounds reasonable. After all, who can be against fairness? Giving the idea...