Although he ends on a note of hope for turning things around, overall the book bears witness to our own folly in allowing this handful of power-crazed men to acquire such extensive control over our lives during the past 60 years. The last few hundred years abound in situations in which not enough good men acted, and so evil did prevail. Evil is very hard to confront. I steadfastly believe in free trade between the citizens of various countries. I am an ardent capitalist and oppose socialism, communism, mercantilism, and so-called third movement economics.
Free trade is good for consumers, business, and American workers.
But free trade requires free people. And we cannot just stick our heads in the sand and imagine that in and of itself free trade is a panacea. We ought to insist upon certain standards within the countries with which we make treaties, so that the benefits of free enterprise are available to Americans but to the citizens of the country which trade with America. I opposed both the North American Free Trade Agreement, and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. Both measures have greatly increased our trade deficit with all nations, greatly infringed upon our national sovereignty, and acquiesced to the political establishment of nations not known for their free enterprise climate.