But we never get actual free trade. We get "no tariffs on imports and exports" with a laundry list of concessions to get it. By itself, of course free trade is

But we never get actual free trade. We get "no tariffs on imports and exports" with a laundry list of concessions to get it. By itself, of course free trade is better - it expands your markets for competitiveness and as long as neither country can exploit its people to unnaturally favor their production it just broadens your competition pool. That never happens. But it doesn't happen because free trade does not work. It doesn't happen because any free trade law is inherently the stage to gain concessions - both sides are poised to benefit, so you barter off your sovereignty and economic position as best you can to maximize your gains, even at catastrophic loss to the participant nations, or even your own people. Its not pretty to acknowledge that to raise the entirety of humanity to a modern standard of living we need to endure the short term ramifications of equalizing our economies amongst each other. But its a pill worth swallowing for all of us. We just keep trying to take the pill in tiny pieces smeared in the rancid butter of short term exploitation and profit.