trade: ``It is always beneficial,'' he said, ``for a nation to specialize in what it can produce best and then trade with others to acquire goods at costs lower than it would take to produce them at home.'' In the 20th century, journalist Frank Chodorov made a similar observation: ``Society thrives on trade simply because trade makes specialization possible, and specialization increases output, and increased output reduces the cost in toil for the satisfactions men live by. That being so, the market place is a most humane institution.'' WHAT CAN YOU DO? Silence gives consent, and there should be no consent to the current waves of restrictive trade legislation being passed. If you agree that free trade is an essential ingredient in maintaining world peace, and that it is important to your future, we suggest that you inform the political leaders in your country of your concern regarding their interference with free trade. Send them a copy of this pamphlet. We also suggest that you write letters to editors in the media and send this pamphlet to them. Discuss this issue with your friends and warn them of the danger of current ``protectionist'' trends. Check on how the issue is being taught in the schools. Widespread public understanding of this issue, followed by citizen action, is the only solution. Free trade is too important an issue to leave in the hands of politicians. ``For thousands of years, the tireless effort of productive men and women has been spent trying to reduce the distance between communities of the world by reducing the costs of commerce and trade. ``Over the same span of history, the slothful and incompetent protectionist has endlessly sought to erect barriers in order to prohibit competition -- thus, effectively moving communities farther apart. When trade is cut off entirely, the real producers may as well be on different planets. ``The protectionist represents the worst in humanity: fear of change, fear of challenge,...
