At least that’s the theme that underlies his latest book with Eileen McGann.
Supporters of free markets will want to skip some chapters, but they’ll appreciate Morris’ understanding of the value of international trade.
Every year, there’s a lot of competition for Dumbest Statement of the Year. It was a particularly tough contest in 2006, when stupid public pronouncements spread like wildfire. But our vote is clear. CNN’s Lou Dobbs deserves the award for this profundity: “Our consumers’ addiction to cheap foreign imports has emboldened many of this country’s leading political elites to further erode America’s security and its sovereignty.”
Dobbs is supposed to know his way around business and financial issues. But he misses the essential point: imports are a consumer’s best friend. Without them, the shelves of discount stores would be empty and we would be paying vastly more than we should for everything from clothing to computers.
After highlighting some of the most absurd protectionist policies, Morris and McGann cite a Heritage Foundation report that shows “the cost of farm subsidies over a ten-year period comes to $4,400 for the average American household in tax payments and in increased food prices.”
The event is not yet listed on the JLF Web site, but Morris is expected to deliver a Headliner lecture next month in Winston-Salem.
