Question

5. George Will argues that the current administration’s tariff policy is making us worse off. He is upset both about the administration picking particular industries to protect through import tariffs and about the uneven application of exceptions and appeals. He appears to be more upset about the latter than the former. Why? What makes the appeal process a more egregious violation of free market principles, in Will’s view, than the import tariffs in general?

Answer 1

George Will believes that uneven protection in the form of exceptions and appeals given to some specific sectors such as agriculture doesn't just mean that the tariffs are actually being paid by American consumers, and against the basic principle of markets, economics and law, the same import tariff taxes are being reimbursed to the farmers, chosen industries etc. which is an egregious violation of free market principles.

He believes that this gives rise to crony-capitalism, rather than free markets and pure capitalism.