Maybe the argument for colonialism? Regardless, countries that largely operate without protectionism or colonialism have become the wealthiest in the history of the world, without any real competition. There's not much argument remaining.
The wealthiest economies now are those of China and US. And both used colonialism and protectionism.
The further we look in history, the more we see most powerful economies practicing both colonialism and protectionism. From British Empire to Roman Empire.
China is not, unless you just add up the large number of people and their bank accounts (those who have any savings). Per capita, the "countries that largely operate without protectionism or colonialism have become the wealthiest in the history of the world, without any real competition.", as I said.
> both used colonialism and protectionism
Could you give examples? I mean, they used some, but not substantially. Unless you mean the distant past.
Note how this discussion is framed - for countries. I'm concerned with, and I think we should be concerned with, people.
> The further we look in history, the more we see most powerful economies practicing both colonialism and protectionism.
If you look at history, we are overwhelmingly nomadic hunter-gathers with stone tools - ~190,000 of 200,000 years of Homo sapiens. We are well beyond that history, and the history you name. Our economies far outstrip those empires, as well as our freedom and human rights and the benefit our economies provide to those outside aristrocracy.
Why do you keep trying to go backward to a relatively poor, oppressive time.
This is manufacturing economy 101 and how the US built and defended it's manufacturing base before the pivot to a "service" economy. China's trade strategy mirrors this, as is evidenced by the last 30-ish years of constant bitching by trade wonks and pundits.
What is? You haven't spelled out your theory. And I know economics well, and class 101 is free markets and specialization.
> how the US built and defended it's manufacturing base before the pivot to a "service" economy
Who wants to return to an economy of decades ago? The US was much poorer then. I want to move to the future. Services are much easier on people physically - you don't want to work in a coal mine.
Then something must have changed with the introduction texts at some point because the one I had to slog through covered the concept of manufactured goods being inherently more valuable shortly after defining basic terms like "product", "value", and "manufactured goods". Literally 2nd chapter in the book.
"Who wants to return to an economy of decades ago?"
Literally everyone who works for a living making shit or who are stuck in bullshit service industry McJobs that aren't paying the bills. Also every small business owner in the country, although admittedly not all of them realize it.
"The US was much poorer then."
The oligarch class was certainly much poorer then, the same can't be said for the other 99.9% of the population.
"Services are much easier on people physically"
You might want to look into the long term health effects of poverty and stress before you float that statement. Additionally "I'm too soft to actually work" only becomes a compelling argument when you can prove the condition applies to a simple majority of working age Americans. Good luck with that.
You pretty much nailed the arguments in favor of trade protectionism right there. Import cheap unprocessed raw materials, export expensive finished goods, capture the majority of value created in the process.