Talk:Protectionism/Archives/2014

Article needs major work

There are a host of problems with this article. For starters, the article states "protectionism results in deadweight loss; this loss to overall welfare gives no-one any benefit, unlike in a free market, where there is no such total loss." There's no source here, but I'm sure one could be found supporting this argument, just as I'm certain you can find studies which come to the opposite conclusion. Economics isn't a hard science. Anyone who makes virtually any blanket assertion when it comes to economics is full of it. There are arguments, theories (but not "theories", as the term is used in, say, physics), studies, etc. But, no absolute laws of economics.

Next, "Most mainstream economists instead support free trade"? I looked at the sources sited, and I couldn't find any scientific surveys which support this claim. Unless someone can point to such a survey, what it should say is that "some mainstream economists..." This assertion is repeated, stating "Most economists, including Nobel prize winners Milton Friedman and Paul Krugman, believe that free trade helps workers in developing countries..." Again, "most" is unsourced.

I was going to post all the problems with this article, but the list is too long. Please note that I am NOT arguing in favor of protectionism. I am arguing in favor of an unbiased article. There needs to be an explanation, including citations to economists who support protectionism. And, there needs to be a healthy argument against protectionism in the criticism section (or elsewhere, as appropriate.) But, this article, as-is, amounts to propaganda.

I would very much like the assistance of other editors in fixing this article. However, if you are under the impression that a pure free market economy has somehow been objectively proven superior to an economy that utilizes protectionism, or that an unfettered free market economy has been proven inferior to, say, a socialist state, you really have no business editing this page.JoelWhy (talk) 19:21, 17 January 2012 (UTC)

Definition of protectionism

We're sourcing the definition to an opinion piece written by "The Anonymous Alien"? [1] Seriously? --NeilN ^{talk to me} 01:12, 31 July 2013 (UTC)

Some recent problems

I reverted this. I that part of it is US-centric special pleading, and the part about comparative advantage is problematic too:

The Comparative Advantage argument is also premised on full employment. According to the Wikipedia entry on Comparative Advantage, “if one or other of the economies has less than full employment of factors of production, then this excess capacity must usually be used up before the comparative advantage reasoning can be applied”. Protectionists believe that it is therefore erroneous to base trade policy on the principle of Comparative Advantage in those countries that suffer from significant unemployment or underemployment

The comparative advantage article doesn't actually say that, and even if it did, interpreting it to support that protectionist argument is something that belongs on a forum, not in an encyclopædia. bobrayner (talk) 10:01, 16 August 2013 (UTC)

It did say that, it was a copy and paste.

But please do not cut out the entire post based on one objection.

I'll see if I can find another source for the Less Full Employment agreement, it should not be hard.

By definition, the "Arguments for Protectionism" are biased, but they are part of the debate and anyone interested in protectionism should be aware of that debate.

If you feel the these arguments are invalid, please state that in the section "Arguments for Protectionism" but quit deleting my restoration efforts.

NPOV problems & weasel words throughout

NPOV problems & weasel words throughout; too frequent to specify here. Overwhelmingly biased away from tariffs towards VAT & Income Tax. The US Federal government ran on tariffs for nearly 150 years; now with income tax & a fiat currency, it's the largest debtor country on the planet. --Lance W. Haverkamp (talk) 07:28, 15 September 2013 (UTC)