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by Rod D. Martin
June 8, 2019
Republicans have long been the party of Free Trade. Donald Trump — and a growing number of working class Americans — ask whether the trade we have is really free. It’s a fair question.
The AP ran a story yesterday entitled “Free traders no more? GOP warms up to Trump’s use of tariffs”. It’s worth reading but it missed the point.
I’ve been saying this for over two years now: a businessman like Donald Trump, with companies across the world, doesn’t want tariffs. He wants free trade.
But he’s not willing to let the world pee on his leg and tell him it’s raining.
The RINOs (and some Libertarians) who attack Trump’s use of tariffs (1) couldn’t negotiate their way out of a paper bag (as they’ve demonstrated all too painfully for the last quarter century), and (2) completely miss Trump’s point: that access to America’s markets is an overwhelming benefit to others and strength to us which, used correctly, can reduce other countries’ trade barriers (tariffs, IP theft, etc.) and induce better behavior generally.
Those RINOs (and some Libertarians) have made free trade an idol to be worshiped rather than a practical outcome to be pursued. They fret and cry and scream at Trump because he won’t bow to their altars while ignoring the reality: he just wants to get it done.
One-way free trade is not free trade. And the whole world will be made better when we get the real thing rather than the fake sell-out version we’ve been handed for the last 25 years. We might even get some better behavior on non-trade matters, as with Turkey (Andrew Brunson) and Mexico (the just-agreed border enforcement deal).
Funny how the Beltway hand wringers are always in love with “economic sanctions”, until someone comes along who imposes real ones. Free trade will absolutely make the world better. But America deserves a better deal.
— Trump on Trade: Two-Way or No Way originally appeared as a Facebook post by Rod D. Martin.
Rod is one of our nation’s leading minds. He’s smart, original, and very committed—a combination that one rarely finds.
Rod Martin and [former Howard Dean campaign manager] Joe Trippi are America’s two foremost experts on online politics.
Rod Martin is a Reaganite-Thatcherite conservative…[and] a man who has spent much of his life ministering to and working for the benefit of others. I know Rod as an advocate for freedom, a leader who understands the real changes we need in Washington, and who has the drive and ability to make those changes happen.
Rod Martin is the kind of dynamic leader who has the knowledge, ability and experience to lead us successfully into the 21st Century. His vision for America is compelling.
Rod Martin literally wrote the book on excellence. Humble yet brilliant, a man of love and compassion, with penetrating clarity he illuminates the world around us, and we are both stirred and enlightened.
Rod Martin is a born leader and an outstanding political mind. Anyone who takes him on is going to have a serious fight on their hands.
Rod Martin is a man of uncommon vision and character. Ever since I first worked alongside Rod in the early days of PayPal, I’ve been struck by his powerful vision for the future. Rod understands the intersection of technology, politics and culture in a way that few others do.
Rod Martin wears with uncommon grace an uncanny ability to link his vigorous faith to the practical challenges of both the business world and the political arena. Yet the respect he shows for others carries a warmth and modesty that are both too rare among those who are strong advocates of feisty positions.
America badly needs more leaders who really get the future. We need more Rod Martins.
Rod Martin is a modern day philosopher-statesman. He is a capitalist intellectual, a conservative iconoclast, a gentle adversary and a kind prophet. He inspires us towards a fresh national vision built upon the original founding principles.
Rod Martin is not only effective and efficient, but he is also perceptive, wise and gracious. He gets things done. He is a great friend and a great ally.
Rod is one of the sharpest, most gracious men I know, and one of the most gifted political thinkers today. His ability to analyze issues and communicate thoughtful insights on them have earned him the respect of people across the political spectrum.
I am proud to have been Rod Martin’s friend for a quarter century, and I can tell you that he is one of the finest men and most outstanding leaders in our church and in our country today. He has a knack for turning everything he touches to success.
Rod Martin is a cornucopian entrepreneur and eutropic thinker whose influence radiates through an array of companies, institutions, movements and churches. A renaissance American, he is also a prolific friend of freedom and faith around the globe.
If Rod Martin represents the next generation of leaders, America has nothing to worry about.
A leader and a servant, in public life and in private, Rod Martin strides at the top of his profession, and has nowhere to go but up. He is in the truest sense of the word ‘outstanding’.
Rod Martin is undoubtedly one of the most accomplished thought leaders today. He is a wonderful mentor, a humble role model, and a deep inspiration for the next generation of scientific innovators and entrepreneurs.
Rod’s achievements pale beside his character and his brilliance. He sees what others can’t. He leads when others won’t.
Rod Martin is one of America’s finest young minds.
