When Australians, who have been habituated since birth to be sceptical of pomposity, hear officialdom assert 'There is no alternative', their instinctive reaction is to be convinced that the opposite must be true.
This thought was brought to mind recently when browsing through that section of the website of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade explaining Australia's policy on world trade. The site reads like a advertisement for the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the international body committed to liberalising trade.
Further, in endorsing free trade so uncritically the federal Government mirrors or is mirrored by almost all commentators on economic affairs in the serious media. Public debate in Australia does not reflect the anger developing globally among developing countries and the peace, faith, green and labour movements at the lack of justice in current trading arrangements. One would never know that conflict over protectionism has been a feature of Australia's political landscape for much of the past 140 years.
This essay presents a sceptical view of trade liberalisation. Our history is a good place to start.