Russell Roberts’s Novel The Choice: A Fable Of Fre

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Protectionism gives a creative look at the key international economic issues facing America and American business. It also provides a new perspective on how international trade can affects us, with issues concerning protectionism and free market. Roberts’ uses simplistic terms to tell a story that follows the time-traveling journey of Ed Johnson, and his guardian angel David Ricardo. Throughout this journey, Dave’s main purpose is to educate Ed about free trade and protectionism just before the time the country is about to embark on a course of total protectionism in the 1960s, by which Ed had a massive influence on. In doing this task it gives Dave the opportunity to change his status as a wanderer in the courts of heaven. On the other hand Ed is resistant to the ideas of trade, especially foreign trade because being the CEO of the Stellar Television Company he is facing immense competition from the lower priced Japanese made televisions. Ed’s main purpose for not supporting free trade is to protect his employees from the negative impacts of a foreign product that can overtake the market. To show Ed that his resistance to change his views on total protectionism could be the detriment of nearly everyone else; Dave takes him on a journey to the future, back to the past, and through different years to prove Dave’s point of view. Their travels begin by Dave explaining his favor for free trade through the argument of efficiency; which he explains as “the roundabout way to wealth”. When Dave took Ed to the future setting of Stars, Illinois, where his television company operates, he sees multiple changes, particularly a multiplex that took the place of the past building. Then they switch to another setting in Rahway, New Jersey, to show him an example of the “roundabout way” concept. Ed was expecting to see a television company instead they were looking at a

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