Special Providence_ American Foreign Policy and How It Changed World - Walter Russell Mead

276 SPECIALPROVIDENCE

"GOODSWILLBESOMUCHCHEAPER"

OurcontemporarydebatesovertradepolicyhavedeeprootsinAmeri-

canhistory.Fearoffloodsof cheapimportsfromlow-wagemanufactur-

ersinEuropeledmanyworkersaswellasindustrialiststofavorhigh

tariffsinthenineteenthcentury.Advocatesoffreetradepointedout

thenwhattheystillsaynow-thatfreetradewillbenefitconsumers.

LibraryofCongress,PrintsandPhotographsDivision,LC-USZ62-99407

machineinElSalvador,"readthecheerful,taxpayer-subsidizedadina
trademagazine."Youcanhireherfor 33 centsanhour.Rosais morethan
justcolorful.Sheandherco-workersareknownfortheirindustriousness,
reliabilityandquicklearning.TheymakeElSalvadoroneofthebest
buYS."I4
Theuseoftaxpayerfundstoexportjobs tolow-wagedeveloping
countriesstruckmanyJacksoniansasa terrifyingperversionofthebasic
functionsofgovernment.ToHamiltonians,bycontrast,thiswasa natu-
ralpartofthecountry'sstrategyforgrowth.
The domestic politicalsituationwas further complicated by the