Cutting Off Our Noses

In a book about Columban missionaries in modern Japan Edward Fischer relates the story of Christian persecution during the two centuries Japan was closed to outside influence. Atrocities were as bad as anything under Nero. Repression continued for decades after the arrival of Commodore Perry and his black ships in 1853. Perry wasn’t there on behalf of Japanese Christians of course. His mission was to open markets to American trade, and ports to refueling stops for the whaling fleet. Perry acted high handedly but he shocked the Japanese into what may be the most amazing social revolution in history. In just fifty years they transformed themselves from a medieval feudal society into a major industrial power with perhaps the most literate population on earth. Christians did benefit though. In the eighteen eighties a Japanese trade mission to Europe and the United States reported back that they were asked about the persecutions everywhere they went. By then Japan’s rulers recognized how important trade was to their plans and if they wanted more of it with the west the persecution was going to have to stop. And so it did. Official restrictions on Christianity ended in 1889, not for human rights or spiritual reasons, for better trade. The United States didn’t do too badly either. This country was founded on trade and nobody has profited more from it than we have. Despite a tradition of high protectionist tariffs that prevailed from the Civil War up to the Great Depression we have generally led the world in opening up trade and trade routes. Since the 1930s we have steadily reduced tariffs and other barriers until today ours may be the most accessible markets of all. With no colonies to speak of we are regularly accused of being an Imperial power mostly because of our readiness to defend economic interests abroad, another tradition, one that that began with fights against pirates off the Barbary Coast in the Jefferson administration and some would say continues today in Iraq. Even unlikely Dallas has become an important hub for the distribution of goods to and from the Far East. The new inland port project in southern Dallas has been called the “largest economic engine to be built in the Metroplex since the opening of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in 1974,” itself a major boost for international trade. Depending on how you count, Texas is number one or two in exports among the fifty states. That sort of story has been repeated many times across the country. It is no coincidence that we became and remain the most prosperous nation in the world. One good way to alter that status and do serious long term damage to both our economy and our security is to backtrack on trade and international discourse, yet that seems exactly what we are about to do. We can’t close ourselves off completely as Japan did in the seventeenth century. That would be impossible but we are building a wall along our southern border, we’ve already made it much more difficult for foreign students to get study visas, both Democratic presidential candidates are vying to outdo one another on NAFTA bashing, the Speaker of the House wants to block an important trade agreement with Columbia, and prospects for the current Doha round of negotiations in the WTO have foundered. None of this is in our best interest. The only viable long term solution to illegal immigration lies with prosperous neighbors to the south. We should be encouraging more trade with Mexico, not stepping back. Many of our best and brightest scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs were once immigrant students. Why would we choke that off? We’ve had recent food riots in Haiti, Egypt, the Philippines, and Bangladesh. For the first time in years the world isn’t producing enough to feed itself. The best thing we could do to help is to encourage agricultural production in third world countries through trade agreements. Why wouldn’t we? Crop yields go up, prices go down all around, and everybody wins. If we follow the lead of French Minister of Agriculture Michel Barnier and call instead for higher subsidies for domestic farmers we will just add to the problem. We ought to be encouraging the Middle East to open up its economies too. Commercial relationships don’t guarantee lasting peace but they’re a good place to start. Prosperous countries with open economies, respect for contracts, and the rule of law are a lot less likely to become pariah states than closed societies are. Trade is the single most effective weapon we have against terrorism. I’d much rather be buying hand woven carpets from Afghanistan, and selling them silicon chips, than sending them troops. Improved trade ties carry all sorts of net benefits for both parties. Why aren’t we doing all we can to promote them? After WWII Japan rose from the ashes and made another spectacular run. It was the second in as many centuries and they soon became the world’s second largest economy, third if you count the EU as one. They have no oil, precious little arable land, and few natural resources. The have to import almost everything. They have accomplished miracles through trade. So have we. The difference is trade is a more obvious engine for Japan’s wealth. If we don’t start reminding ourselves where ours comes from we could be in serious trouble.