America should strive toward self dependency

The burden of proof should be shared between both me and pro, as his resolution is "America should strive toward self-sufficiency" and mine will be "America should strive toward free trade internationally". Self-Sufficiency: Able to provide for oneself without the help of others; independent. Free trade: (Economics) international trade that is free of such government interference as import quotas, export subsidies, protective tariffs, etc. (1) I believe these two ideas are at odds, as self-sufficiency as you describe it would only be attained through economic intervention by the government. This is evident in that the world is very diverse in goods and services, and a society as complex as our own wouldn't be as prosperous if it aimed toward self sufficiency as opposed to integration. People will always want goods from other nations, whether it be finished goods or raw materials. Arguments Individual Freedom: One of the biggest reasons to support international free trade is because it is done through individuals. This country was founded upon the ability of people to own property and have the ability trade goods with others. When two people make a trade, it is done for the mutual benefit of both parties. Others should not have a say in this mutually beneficial agreement, so long as nobody's rights are being infringed upon. For example, say an American business owner wishes to buy bananas from Guatemala, as bananas grow well there, and are therefore cheaper. The American sees the bananas as worth more than the money he would give, and the banana grower sees the money he would get from the trade as worth more than his bananas. They make a mutually beneficial trade, and both end up happier and economically better off than they were before. No one was hurt in the process and both people, and in turn both nations, end up a bit better off than they were before. I ask you this: is this something you really want to prevent from happening? Does the idea of self-sufficiency really trump over man's ability to make mutually beneficial agreements? I believe individuals should be able to use their money as they please, so long as no one's gets hurt in the process. Economic Prosperity: The opinions you state in the first round have major economic implications. They imply that the USA should not be trading with other nations, even if it is more profitable and more desirable to the individuals in both countries. "1. All industry and agriculture should be domestic. " The biggest problems with this idea is that it is a lot of the time cheaper to buy these products from other countries. As I stated before, something like bananas aren't very good at being grown in the United States. Growing them here simply for the sake of having them grown in America would be a bad economic decision. Trading them is much cheaper, and it would prevent the prices of bananas from going up, which allows for people to use the money on other things. This isn't only limited to bananas though. In 2010, the top agricultural imports to the United States include fruit juices (43k hectoliters), wine (10k hectoliters), malt beverages (31k hectoliters), and fruits, nuts, and preparations (11k metric tons). (2) This shows the sheer amounts of agriculture products that we import to the USA. Imagine how much more expensive these, along with many other products, would be if they had to be farmed here. We simply don't have the environments, land, or natural resources to sustain the amounts of agricultural goods that we get from all over the world. Industry is another important part of the international trade in which we do. Industrial goods such machines, engines, and pumps make up 13% ($293 billion) of our imports, electronic equipment make up 12.5%($283 billion), and vehicles 9.1%($206 billion). (3) What this implies is that a ton of our money is being traded for goods that we use every day. These goods, which are definitely cheaper than what they would have been if made domestically, allow us to function effectively as a highly developed nation. I'd like to emphasize again that free trade gives us the ability to make huge profits off of industrial items while also allowing us to focus our abilities in America on other, more profitable jobs. If these things were made here, it would hit the pockets of every American citizen in affording the more expensive products. This causes a net loss in our economy. "2. Raw materials should be the only thing imported. " "4. Only raw materials not available in large numbers should be imported. " Any raw materials that could be imported for less money than it would take to bring here in America should be done. This could only benefit people here as we need cheap materials to make cheap products. Cheap products benefit consumers, which would be the common citizen. "3. I consider self dependency to be only 20% of finished goods should be imported. " What should be imported is anything that can make America more prosperous. As I have pointed out earlier, mutually beneficial trade agreements have a good effect on society. Whether it be between Americans, or between other countries is not important, so long as it is beneficial to people. Other Benefits: Other benefits includes the promotion of innovation and competition and disseminating democratic values. (4) Innovation and competition occur because different individuals in nations will work to try to make better and cheaper products than those in other nations. For example, the competition between Sony and Nintendo brought about fantastic developments in the videogame industry, which increased the value of videogames both here and in other countries. Had there only been American companies involved in the new videogames industry, innovation and competition would have been much slower, as less people would be involved in the industry. Disseminating democratic values can also result from free trade. "Free trade fosters support for the rule of law. Companies that engage in international trade have reason to abide by the terms of their contracts and international agreed-upon norms and laws. The World Trade Organization, for example, compels its member countries to honor trade agreements and, in any trade dispute, to abide by the decisions of the WTO's mediating body. "(4) What this means is that when free trade is allowed, corruption in government slowly dies down as contracts are enforced internationally. I'll let you respond now. Sources: 1. . http://www.thefreedictionary.com... 2. . http://www.census.gov... 3. . http://www.worldsrichestcountries.com... 4. . http://www.heritage.org...