The argument in favor of protectionism is based on the assumption that people in Country X have more value than those over the horizon. Considering how many of my countrymen think/vote I'm not sure I much care if they lose their jobs any more.
The "We're more important than tham because we're your fellow countrymen!" argument is certainly the one I've heard from many interest groups, but I think many of us are fine with protectionism as a temporary means to pushing other countries towards tougher standards on workers' rights and environmental quality. I have no problem with the idea of someone beating me in competition for a job. However, I have a major problem with allowing China to turn Beijing into some sort of post-apocalyptic version of Baltimore in the interest of keeping its competitive advantage, to say nothing of the more boring issues like currency manipulation. Conservatives want live babies so they can raise them to be dead soldiers. - George Carlin
