Libertarian Declaration of Unilateral Unconditional Free Trade with United Kingdom in 2021 for the Road to Prosperity in Western Balkans

After four and a half years of wrangling, at the end of 2020 the United Kingdom has finally concluded the Brexit trade agreement with the European Union, and is now - with a few restrictive and binding concessions - finally a free country. Among other things, this means that the United Kingdom can now make trade agreements with the countries of the world as it pleases.

Seizing opportunity instead of expressing contempt

Instead of, as candidate countries hoping to become members of the EU, being angry at the British act of leaving the EU community of nations and instead of obediently waiting for EU Commissioners to tell us how to approach the UK economically, countries of Western Balkans should take the opportunity and be among the first to to offer their trade agreements to that free and independent nation, and thus to try out freedom instead of eternal coercion on one free country from which we have so much useful to learn. The fact that governments of the countries in the region have not given it much thought, nor in the absence of a vision that Brexit will indeed take place, now have time to work out and negotiate a wise and acceptable trade agreement that will benefit both sides, are extra arguments as to why we all need libertarian trade agreements with the UK.

Instead of a trade agreement, a unilateral declaration of free trade

What kind of trade agreement is libertarian trade agreement? The libertarian trade agreement is lightning fast. It is a document that fits on a single sheet of paper. The libertarian trade agreement is unilateral. Which means it does not require negotiations and the consent of the other party. It requires almost nothing from the state other than the self-commitment of the authorities not to interfere in economic activities directed towards and coming from the United Kingdom. The libertarian trade agreement is not really an agreement, it is actually a declaration. Which states that the initiating country unilaterally declares unconditional free trade, i.e. free movement of all goods and services, capital, and people of foreign nationals [of the United Kingdom] on the territory and with people under its jurisdiction. That the decision takes effect immediately, permanently, unconditionally, and without exceptions. End of the declaration!

The template below is a simple illustration of all of the above, which could also serve as a draft template for our statesmen in the countries of the region to make a declaration in establishing unconditional friendship and cooperation with Great Britain, if they had the courage to do so.

Template:

FREE TRADE DECLARATION BY THE GOVERNMENT AND CITIZENS OF [NAME OF THE INITIATING COUNTRY] TOWARDS THE STATE AND CITIZENS OF [THE UNITED KINGDOM]

From: [INITIATING COUNTRY]

To: [GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM]

Date [ 1/1/2021]

Article 1. (of total 1)

This document unilaterally declares unconditional free trade, that is the free movement of all goods and services, capital, and people citizens [of the United Kingdom] under the jurisdiction of [the INITIATING STATE]. This decision shall enter into force immediately, permanently, unconditionally, and without exception.

Signatures of authorized personnel:

Stamp: [ ]

Page 1. (of total 1)

In a truly free society, such documents that allow certain people to freely engage in economic activities among themselves are completely meaningless and unnecessary. But in today's unfree statist societies in which every aspect of human life is regulated and every economic activity is taxed, and where everything that is not explicitly allowed is automatically forbidden, such documents must absolutely exist as a guarantee to people engaged in economic activities in new exceptional conditions of freedom so that they will not be prosecuted.

Main arguments for a unilateral libertarian declaration instead of a bilateral trade agreement under state command

First of all, history is a testament that the market, by free choice of all its participants, is the most efficient regulator and quality controller, the most efficient protector of consumers and workers, the best determinant of optimal or fair prices, and the most efficient mean of satisfying real consumer needs. No state regulation is able to hold a candle to market instruments, let alone to promote or take over any part of it.

Trade agreements often rely on the principle of reciprocity, where the same rules apply to both parties. It is quite desirable that by opening the domestic economy to a foreign country, the first country gains access to the market of the other party in the agreement. However, opening up the economy to other countries is desirable and beneficial regardless of whether the other side does the same or decides to protect its economy. For example, if the UK government decides to subsidize its production in order to boost our consumption as a result of its cheaper products, why oppose them? Even their import tariffs on our goods could not cancel out the usefulness of their subsidies for our cheaper consumption. All of this would be strong signals to our economy in crystallizing our domestic capabilities and focusing on producing things we are better at and that the British need, regardless of artificial barriers they choose to barricade themselves with.

Unhindered economic activities would lead to closer economic and cultural cooperation and understanding between people on both sides, where both would find and mutually encourage what is best in their societies.

Economic needs would inevitably lead to a collision of two different legal systems, and force our domestic judiciary to experiment with tried and proven legal methods and solutions used elsewhere in the world. The fact that we are talking about exchange with the country of Great Britain, the cradle of human freedom over tyranny and where there is a strong tradition of rule of law based on equality before the law, presumption of innocence through legal proceedings under the presumption of innocence, protection of property rights, enforcement of contracts, etc., and a country that also said no to the European Union, is really worthy of attention and commitment.

Experience gained in a free economy would lead to explosion of a number of other benefits that come with and are an integral part of any prosperous society.

Lobbying for freedom as an inspiration for the government to help itself

Trade done by countries of the Balkans region with the United Kingdom today is not quantitatively significant, which means that domestic statesmen hungry for power should not find it too difficult to make an exception under the pretext of social progress and allow experimentation in free trade with the UK. Things could of course be further complicated by pressure from the EU, which with the already perfected instruments of sticks and carrots could at the same time decide to affirm its role as our master, forcing our regional statesmen back into their vassal duties, and by preventing free trade with EU candidate countries also additionally punish its now former vassal as well. By the way, in Slovenia and Croatia as full members of the EU, trying to implement this idea of unilateral free trade is an impossibility.

How difficult these obstacles that are likely to prevent such one small hypothetical experiment of freedom, not only does it make this article difficult to end on a positive note, but it primarily shows how far we are truly from freedom and how much do we need freedom in order to prosper. In order for the proposal of unilateral unconditional free trade towards Great Britain to ever be considered in any of the non-EU countries of the Western Balkans, it is necessary to lobby our domestic governing structures for this idea of ​​freedom in an organized and concerted way. If the potential for political groups to achieve political victory or to just remain in power because of the political ingenuity and entrepreneurship described here would show itself to be more tempting than boredom of sitting in their cushy seats and more tempting than EU sticks and carrots because of such disobedience, then this idea could possibly be tried in one or more countries in the region.

Educating society and lobbying for freedom are enduring tasks worth gathering and directing all the available libertarian intellectual muscles we have. In that spirit, may the coming year bring us renewed inspiration and energy for the growth of libertarianism in the region stronger and faster than ever before.

Happy New Year 2021!

Attached are a couple of videos as inspiration for libertarian self-education:

1. Philosophy of Liberty

2. Pencil