[jhanschoo]

Maybe you would be more persuasive by discussing a concrete example where manufacturing was decimated by imports and yet more liberalization would be more economically beneficent thae protectionism (modulo say IMF, world bank policies), rather than parrot an ideological talking point without substantiating it with the concrete examples that form the empirical evidence for such general rules.

[WalterBright]

I cannot think of an example were protectionism made a country more prosperous.

I do agree with protectionism for the purpose of protecting strategic industries - but that comes at a cost to the country.

[jhanschoo]

Off the top of my head due to proximity, Mainland Chinese requirement for Joint Ventures for foreign entrants trying to participate in their market led to a lot of technology and human capital transfer; the case of ARM China comes to my mind. I don't remember details beyond that, but instead of spending time reviewing sources I think this Gemini conversation on this topic should suffice for an introduction and overview https://gemini.google.com/share/42b75fbf2e61

I suppose that there is room to make argument to be made that less protectionism in these respects would have been more sustainable, but it won't be easy. It seems to me that one would have to point to one of:

- enormous short-term benefits of allowing foreign entities to enter the market while controlling their intellectual capital / capital equipment

- a reason why they would acquire such intellectual capital / capital equipment anyway through less protectionist means

- a reason why they would obtain a substitute for the long-term value represented by such intellectual capital / capital equipment