Conservatives for Central Planning
One of the major conservative criticisms of the communism of the Soviet Union was its centrally-planned economy that eschewed the free market, entrepreneurship, and private property and destroyed the work ethic, misallocated resources, and resulted in chronic shortages.
Since the advent of Donald Trump in 2016, and especially in 2024, many conservative individuals and organizations have begun denouncing free trade and advocating protectionism. And not just protectionism, but Trumpism: a unilateral, incoherent, arbitrary, destructive, nationalistic, mercantilist trade policy.
It used to be that conservative opponents of free trade would claim that they were merely making a distinction between free trade and government-managed trade agreements or the “free trade agenda.” Many of them are now “out of the closet,” full throttle, protectionists who cheer every percentage increase in tariff rates on every country that is decreed by President Trump.
But when conservatives are applauding import quotas, anti-dumping laws, trade barriers, increased trade regulations, and higher tariff rates, they are really just applauding Soviet-style central planning.
An army of government burea
Article from LewRockwell
LewRockwell.com is a libertarian website that publishes articles, essays, and blog posts advocating for minimal government, free markets, and individual liberty. The site was founded by Lew Rockwell, an American libertarian political commentator, activist, and former congressional staffer. The website often features content that is critical of mainstream politics, state intervention, and foreign policy, among other topics. It is a platform frequently used to disseminate Austrian economics, a school of economic thought that is popular among some libertarians.
