[Sophisms of the Protectionists by Frederic Bastiat]@TWC D-Link bookSophisms of the Protectionists PART II 151/174
He will take no more vegetables from us, since he can get them at home with less trouble.
He will bring us no more game, since we will have nothing to give in exchange, and we will be then just where you want us to be now. _Robinson._ Short-sighted savage! You do not see that after having destroyed our hunting, by inundating us with game, he will kill our gardening by overwhelming us with vegetables. _Friday._ But he will do that only so long as we give him _something else_; that is to say, so long as we find _something else_ to produce, which will economize our labor. _Robinson._ _Something else--something else!_ You always come back to that.
You are very vague, friend Friday; there is nothing practical in your views. The contest lasted a long time, and, as often happens, left each one convinced that he was right.
However, Robinson having great influence over Friday, his views prevailed, and when the stranger came for an answer, Robinson said to him: "Stranger, in order that your proposition may be accepted, we must be quite sure of two things: "The first is, that your island is not richer in game than ours, for we will struggle but with _equal arms_. "The second is, that you will lose by the bargain.
For, as in every exchange there is necessarily a gainer and a loser, we would be cheated, if you were not.
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