I am a globalist. Now, that may sound like a bad thing to some, but globalism, real globalism, is beneficial to everyone. What is dangerous to us is a world government. A government, able to exert force over the entire world, is to people, what mega farms are like to the biosphere.So if not a globally active government, what do I mean by globalism? I mean what has been occurring for centuries as technology advances: the ability for someone on one side of the planet to be able to engage in commerce with, share ideas with, and in general interact with someone on the opposite side of the world. What I mean is the free exchange of all resources between individuals, regardless of the imaginary division of the Earth under which they live. That is true globalism, and that is what I support. That must include the free exchange of labor as well, and so requires open borders, which is in line with the free market paradigm and the only constitutional way of handling our border.
Why is globalism preferable to nationalism and protectionism? Nationalism treats individuals differently, based on where they happen to live. It is diametrically opposed to voluntarism and free market capitalism. These two institutions rely on the ability to exchange goods and services with whoever is willing. Protectionism cuts off competition, resulting in inefficiencies, slower growth and advancement, inferior quality goods and services, and makes these goods and services more expensive. It also leads to trade wars which can accelerate these damages making them more severe. Protectionism is often attempted as a defense mechanism in times of weak economic activity. This was the case during the Great Depression. But if history tells us anything about the effects of protectionism, it’s that it could not save us. Modern attempts, such as protectionist regulations for the steel industry, have resulted in the same problems.
That is why I am so concerned with what Trump is doing. Instead of trying to eliminate the problems, created by government, which drive businesses and people away from the United States, he is trying to cage them, in order to “Make America Great Again.” You cannot make American great by restricting the flow of resources between individuals. You can only make it great by making people want to come here, work here, produce here, innovate here, and so on. How do we do that in a global economy? We need to provide a better product. We need to keep government out of the way. We need to work as individuals to provide better services in our local communities, educate the next generation so that there is something worthwhile here already, and so on. Globalism is only a threat to inferior products. If you want America to be great, don’t create an inferior product.