United Kingdom farewell mercantilism enlightenment _ Wang Tokyo

15 century, maritime industry unprecedented development, Columbus, the European businessmen to Ecstasy. Once upon a time, they can only travel to the Eastern Mediterranean coast can now Pacific, Atlantic and the world as a whole, are they doing deals in the market. The expansion of space means that there are more opportunities to earn the shining gold and silver. United Kingdom's coastline is very long, trade conditions, London, Liverpool became a busy port city. American and potato, sugar and coffee, Asia's porcelain, tea and tobacco, came into the common people; whereas the United Kingdom, are continuously being sold in the world. 1600 years, established the "monopoly of the East India Company," the Sino-British, trade between India and Britain, the opium cultivation in India, sell to China and earn a profit. 1610-1640, United Kingdom's foreign trade turnover increased by 10 times. Commerce, national wealth grow quickly, a thriving United Kingdom rendering of the scene. No wonder, the Economist William · with the concluded: "the practice of agricultural workers, workers less than operators." Buy cheap and sell to business people run the risk of oil riches, one by one, the world's admiration for them: the pursuit of profit, natural, rich, the world heard admiration. Business people can purchase land, nobility, attended the Parliament, in the political arena has a say. However, this does not mean that they control the Government, so they need a theory to explain the business of the extreme importance, to Government support. Commercial prosperity, so that the "mercantilism" were all the rage. "Mercantilism" who think that gold and silver is paramount, it represents the real wealth, domestic trade cannot increase gold and silver, you should expand the trade surplus, go from other countries. How do I obtain trade surpluses? in short, is the award out restricted. On the one hand, to the exporters to benefit and reduce the cost of exported products, internationally competitive; on the other hand, the tax on imported goods, the importer of high tariffs profit rarely, or unprofitable, forcing them to abandon imports. These measures, the State would benefit: Nisshin Doo Kim, not only to maintain expenses of Royal families, improving people's living, more importantly, it represents more of the fleet and more extensive colonies, more markets, more profit, in this "virtuous circle", the Treasury will become increasingly honest. "Mercantilism" who built the "blueprint" that sure enough to allow the Government to move the heart, is striving to be a world hegemony, the British Government has accepted the "mercantilism" policy, but also to their parents as part of the world trade competition, sheltered in the interests of their businesses. The 17th century, is expanding its shipping market, the adoption of the maritime Treaty, provides for some souvenirs can only be sold to the United Kingdom, and that the goods sold to Europe, accessible only by exporters or vessel transport United Kingdom. At that time, the raw material of the transport capacity of the exporting country is negligible, Netherlands and United Kingdom a compete, the pertinence of the Treaty, it may be "Sima-vilified. On the closure of the "hegemony", Netherlands and no "resignation" of the 1950s, a fourth Anglo-Dutch war, were United Kingdom, Netherlands and finally had to succumb. In "mercantilism" under the guidance of the British Empire was reached, the occupation of the colonies more and more, known as the "Empire of the sun never sets." However, are nowhere, when the United Kingdom to complete the industrial revolution, from agricultural country becomes industrialised economies, the instrumental "mercantilism" has become a "dog". Before the industrial revolution, the United Kingdom is an agricultural country, restrictions on foreign imports of agricultural products, the protection of national agriculture, consistent with the interests of the majority. From the middle ages onwards, in order to safeguard their own interests, the United Kingdom to farmers to implement the Act, the Act provides that unless the domestic food scarce, expensive, or shall import, high tariffs, to avoid competition with foreign agriculture. After the industrial revolution, the vast majority of people engaged in the trade, the United Kingdom the law "on them and no benefits, high grain prices, cost of living is high, the workers on the payroll requirements are also high, business owners face a" dilemma ": either workers strike, the factory are not functioning, or raise wages, own profit; United Kingdom industry in global leadership, product-rich, competitive, urgent requirements expand overseas markets, but long-term protection and trade policy, is not conducive to products for export. To repeal the grain act as an opportunity to trade were required to pursue the policy of free trade. However, in the Act of waste issues, the United Kingdom of the two major parties involved. Tory Party (that is, afterward of the conservative party), represents the interests of land barons, advocated the continued protection of trade policy; Whig party (that is, the later the Liberal Party), represents the interests of industry and commerce, requires free trade policies. Changes in the economic situation, and calls for new policies, and on innovative theory has also put forward. During this period, two economists exceptionally high, they are Adam · Adam Smith and David · Ricardo. Adam Smith in support of free trade, "the doctrine of absolute cost". He said that human nature is selfish, and hope that with the minimum effort for maximum output and allow people to participate freely in the international division of labour, and let the free trade of goods, will enable countries to maximize the benefits; on this basis, Ricardo and thereby proposed "comparative cost" doctrine, in his view, every country has its own advantages, produce their own low cost advantage products, and to the international market, we pass on, both double-to facilitate trade in smaller price, get their needs can amounting to a "win-win" result. As the international division of gradually the hearts of the people, to repeal the grain Act is a general trend. 1839, against the grain Act Alliance was founded in Manchester. Soon, PIR (Sir Robert Peel) served as Prime Minister of the Cabinet of the conservative party, but he does not adhere to the policies of protectionism, term, lower tariffs, 1846, repeal the grain Act and to explain that: "in the invention, in work, in order to respect ... All, we are standing in the worldPreviously, we also fear competition? ". It is true that the United Kingdom's industrial production accounted for half of the world, is the "world factory". However, history has given him a joke: conservatives can't tolerate his "betrayal" and his Cabinet was party to reverse, "forward-looking" made him over political life. However, the trend of trade liberalization go, irreversible. Three years later, trade protectionism of another Treaty — the maritime Treaty was repealed, the United Kingdom has gradually become free trade, free trade policy demonstrating its tremendous effect. United Kingdom economists Jevons, had problems in the coal in the book are proud to say: "free trade, have caused many areas on the planet to our tribute. North America and Russia plain is our cornfield, South America has our herd cattle farm, Peru presented her silver, gold from California and Australia to London, Chinese tea for us, Spain and France is our vineyard, the Eastern Mediterranean is our orchards ... ... "