Libertarian Protectionists

Writes a Congressional staffer: “Concerning free trade in pharmaceuticals: Fred Smith of the Competitive Enterprise Institute screamed at the lead GOP sponsor of the bill at Grover Norquist’s meeting that reimportation would ‘kill people.’ Also, the National Taxpayers Union and Americans for Tax Reform opposed the bill. CATO has been the only one of the DC groups to renounce its anti-free trade position. and while they deserve the lumps they took for temporary protectionism, other DC-based libertarians are even bigger shrills for the drug lobby.”

BTW, don’t miss Jude Blanchette’s excellent article on the entire controversy.

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8:40 am on July 31, 2003