Tariffs Tax the Poor More Than the Rich
Cato and other libertarian organizations really miss the point. Free trade and free movement of labor (which are two sides of the same coin) will give you economic efficiency. But economic efficiency doesn’t make people happy. Living in stable, cohesive communities where there are jobs and people can raise their kids near their extended family without moving around to chase opportunities is what makes many (I’d argue most) people happy. Many people would rather have that and pay more money for widgets and strawberries.<p>My family immigrated to northern Virginia in 1989 when it was still a bit southern and quite homogenous. It was a warm, friendly community. Fast forward 30 years. It’s much richer. There’s a Google office in Reston which used to be a bit downscale. Immigrants chasing high paying American jobs are a big chunk of the population. So are transplants from other parts of the country. And all the soul of the place is gone. The warm community has been replaced by a bunch of people living next to each other. That’s the kind of society free trade and fee movement of labor creates and many people don’t like it.