It is commonly thought that peace can only be achieved by means that either movements advocating peace or in rallies that call for the same. But have we ever considered free trade as a precursor to peace? Dan Griswold, in his paper Can free trade promote peace in the Middle East (2003), makes a point that free trade, though not a “cure-it-all” for the Middle East, it is a good block to build upon for the regions’ peace and prosperity (Griswold, 2003).
International free commerce, if acted within the parameters of law and property rights are observed, can turn out to be a powerful force to spark widespread peace (CAM, 2006).
According to James Dorn, trade can establish relationships among people, fostering relationships not only in terms of commerce (Dorn, 1997), but also in the free flow of ideas, beliefs and customs, like food and music (CAM, 2006).
This will augur well for better understanding and friendship, an appreciation for different cultures and ways of life.
Trade will arouse a higher level of economic growth for all involved and will generally be a source of satisfaction with the current state of living (Russett and Oneal. 2001).
It will greatly improve the finances of the nations, and their peoples, involved in free trade, thereby reducing the chances of an outbreak of violence, even war, in those regions (Dorn, 1997).
To conclude, free trade must have as its focus on trading partners putting a premium on maximizing the gains from their trading activities, or else, it will be lost if and when conflict steps into the picture(Benson and Niou, 2003).
The Term Paper on Reasons for Free Trade
Free trade can be defined as the situation whereby governments impose no artificial barriers to trade that restrict the free exchange of goods and services between countries with the aim of protecting domestic producers from foreign competitors. The argument for free trade is based on the economic concept of comparative advantage. Comparative advantage is the economic principle that nations should ...
