“The deepest divide between protectionism and libertarianism,” he writes, “is over the regulatory state.” Not really. Setting aside the poor economic results of protectionism, the truly deep divide is over property rights. Libertarians believe protectionists disregard the importance of private property, the essence of a free society. Libertarianism is predicated on a passion for human liberty. Empowering bureaucrats to control most of our economic transactions is the opposite of liberty. Libertarians have enough adversaries without friends like Mr. Ramaswamy.
Letter to the Editor: Vivek Ramaswamy Is No Friend of the Libertarian Movement
Vivek Ramaswamy’s op-ed “The America First Divide: Protectionism vs. Libertarianism” (Sept. 21) serves a useful purpose in pointing out the counterproductive nature of most protectionist initiatives. But his defense of libertarianism falls short.