Equality of Opportunity: For Americans Only

According to Samuel P. Huntington, Americans live by an "American creed." This creed is a set of values that all Americans believe in and live by. Political debates are therefore just a reallocation of existing values. One such value is the equality of opportunity. We cannot guarantee that all Americans achieve success, but we do believe that all citizens of our nation should have the opportunity to achieve success if they wish to. But how does this idea play out in relationships with other nations? Do we have the right, or even the responsibility, to restrict other nations when they threaten our opportunity to "succeed?"

In September, the US imposed taxes on Chinese tyres. Most recently in October, oil country tubular goods were added the list of taxed goods imported from China. The United States imposes these duties to protect American industries that cannot compete with the low prices of Chinese goods. The less expensive Chinese items threaten the American industries' opportunity to succeed.

If we truly believe in equality of opportunity, then fair trade should exist without question - may the most competitive supplier win. By levying taxes, we become hypocrites.