Molinari calls the idea of using tariffs to promote a nation’s economy “a monstrosity” (1852)

Molinari was responding to the standard defence of using tariffs and subsidies to promote a “nation’s” economy given by the German economist Friedrich List (1789-1846) in The National System of Political Economy (1841). List had been impressed by American efforts along these lines when he visited there in the 1820s, so it is fitting that Molinari’s criticism was translated and published in an American Cyclopedia in 1881 when protectionism was again on the rise there.

Molinari identified six common protectionist “fallacies” which he wanted to debunk. This is the 5th. In essence he argues that people should be allowed to choose with whom they prefer to trade, not government bureaucrats, or politicians, or military leaders. Why should the government tell the people of the Rhine river valley they should trade with the citizens of Berlin rather than with the citizens across the border in France?, Or in the American context, the citizens of Vermont be forced to trade with the inhabitants of Texas rather the with the inhabitants of Québec? The borders with both Canada and Mexico had been decided by the fortunes of war not by any rational economic reasons. He called this idea of imposing tariffs along the artificially drawn lines of a military map “une monstruosité” (a monstrosity).