Reply #124: No, I don't think so.

[anigbrowl]

"The EU is an intergovernment organization, while the United States of a America is a nation-state."

First, the EU has governmental powers; I oughta know, as I'm European. Second, there is no analogy being made: it's fact that botht he EU and US are made up of member states which have a tariff-free internal market and are thus a giant free trade zone, and it's fact that in both cases this is constitutionally protected.

by your logic, if protectionism is good for countries, it should be good for states also. So, whichever state you're in, I encourage you o fight for tariffs on imports from the other 49.

"Your argument, that free Trade is "good" is wrong also. Free Trade has brought nothing but misery upon the American worker."

Wow, compelling rebuttal you have there. I'd say American workers have done pretty well over the years from the export of American goods overseas, which is part of how the US came to be a leading industrial power to begin with. By contrast, Europe's past protectionist policies have been less good for European workers, which is one reason I'm very pro-EU and the abolition of border controls in general. Such policies are certainly not free of stress, but I believe they're much better for ordinary people over the long run. A typical European worker enjoys considerably more purchasing power today than he or she would have 30 years ago.