Saving Freedom: on Free Trade


Jim DeMint: Stupid not to tax imports from foreign countries

Perhaps the best news for our economy and American jobs is that this plan would not tax American exports. Imported products from other countries will pay an 8.5% tax. This means our tax code would finally tax foreign and domestic manufacturing the same. Our current tax code taxes American exports but not imports. This is killing American manufacturing and jobs and hurting our entire economy. We couldn't be more stupid!
Source: Saving Freedom, by Jim DeMint, p.244 Jul 4, 2009

Milton Friedman: Protectionist trade policies caused the Great Depression

Bad monetary policy and protectionist trade policies by the government, according to Friedman, caused the Great Depression. The public, however, believed that the economic breakdown was a failure of free market capitalism. This led to a loss of confidence in freedom and an increase in confidence in government. "Emphasis on the responsibility of the individual for his own fate was replaced by emphasis on the individual as a pawn buffeted by forces beyond his control."

Friedman writes that Americans still have time to make the choice between freedom and socialism. "We have not yet reached the point of no return." He challenges all American to make their choice wisely:

"Will our golden age come to an end in a relapse into the tyranny and misery that has always been, and remains today, the state of most mankind? Or shall we have the wisdom, the foresight, and the courage to change our course, to learn from experience, and to benefit from a "rebirth of freedom"?"

Source: Saving Freedom, by Jim DeMint, p.226 Jul 4, 2009

Paul Ryan: 8.5% tax on imports from foreign countries

Perhaps the best news for our economy and American jobs is that this plan would not tax American exports. Imported products from other countries will pay an 8.5% tax. This means our tax code would finally tax foreign and domestic manufacturing the same. Our current tax code taxes American exports but not imports. This is killing American manufacturing and jobs and hurting our entire economy. We couldn't be more stupid!
Source: Saving Freedom, by Jim DeMint, p.244 Jul 4, 2009

  • The above quotations are from Saving Freedom:
    We Can Stop America's Slide into Socialism    , by Sen. Jim DeMint.
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Free Trade.
  • Click here for other issues (main summary page).
  • Click here for more quotes by Jim DeMint on Free Trade.
Candidates and political leaders on Free Trade:

Retired Senate as of Jan. 2015:
GA:Chambliss(R)
IA:Harkin(D)
MI:Levin(D)
MT:Baucus(D)
NE:Johanns(R)
OK:Coburn(R)
SD:Johnson(D)
WV:Rockefeller(D)

Resigned from 113th House:
AL-1:Jo Bonner(R)
FL-19:Trey Radel(R)
LA-5:Rod Alexander(R)
MA-5:Ed Markey(D)
MO-9:Jo Ann Emerson(R)
NC-12:Melvin Watt(D)
SC-1:Tim Scott(R) 		Retired House to run for Senate or Governor:
AR-4:Tom Cotton(R)
GA-1:Jack Kingston(R)
GA-10:Paul Broun(R)
GA-11:Phil Gingrey(R)
HI-1:Colleen Hanabusa(D)
IA-1:Bruce Braley(D)
LA-6:Bill Cassidy(R)
ME-2:Mike Michaud(D)
MI-14:Gary Peters(D)
MT-0:Steve Daines(R)
OK-5:James Lankford(R)
PA-13:Allyson Schwartz(D)
TX-36:Steve Stockman(R)
WV-2:Shelley Capito(R) 		Retired House as of Jan. 2015:
AL-6:Spencer Bachus(R)
AR-2:Tim Griffin(R)
CA-11:George Miller(D)
CA-25:Howard McKeon(R)
CA-33:Henry Waxman(D)
CA-45:John Campbell(R)
IA-3:Tom Latham(R)
MN-6:Michele Bachmann(R)
NC-6:Howard Coble(R)
NC-7:Mike McIntyre(D)
NJ-3:Jon Runyan(R)
NY-4:Carolyn McCarthy(D)
NY-21:Bill Owens(D)
PA-6:Jim Gerlach(R)
UT-4:Jim Matheson(D)
VA-8:Jim Moran(D)
VA-10:Frank Wolf(R)
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Page last updated: Feb 22, 2019