Copy Book Archive

Peace By Free Trade The blessing of trade free from political interference was one of most important insights in British, indeed world history.
1843-1846
Music: Aram Khachaturian

© Suzanne Knight, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain. Source

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Loading a freighter at Sunderland. © Rob Bishop, Geograph. Licence: CC-BY-SA 2.0.

Peace By Free Trade
In his day, Richard Cobden (1804-1865) was regarded as Britain’s answer to Karl Marx. Where Marxism stands for State control, bloody violence and political oppression, Cobden showed that the free market led to prosperity through peace, cooperation, and freedom.

FREE Trade! What is it?

Why, breaking down the barriers that separate nations; those barriers, behind which nestle the feelings of pride, revenge, hatred, and jealousy, which every now and then burst their bounds, and deluge whole countries with blood. [...]

I see in the Free-trade principle that which shall act on the moral world as the principle of gravitation in the universe, — drawing men together, thrusting aside the antagonism of race, and creed, and language, and uniting us in the bonds of eternal peace.

Précis

According to the Victorian MP Richard Cobden, free trade is about getting people to co-operate, to recognise that they need each other. The things which set neighbour against neighbour, even race, religion and politics, can be put to one side when people trade, and much bloodshed avoided. (47 / 60 words)

Source

Taken from two speeches by Richard Cobden (1804-1865), at Covent Garden in London in 1843, and in Manchester in 1846.

Suggested Music

Spartacus: Ballet Suite

Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia

Aram Khachaturian (1903-1978)

Performed by the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Stanley Black.

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Richard Cobden saw Britain’s international standing in terms of peaceful trade rather than military interventions.

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