Richard K. Armey: “I support permanent normal trade relations with China because I profoundly believe that it will advance the cause of…”

“I support permanent normal trade relations with China because I profoundly believe that it will advance the cause of human rights for the Chinese people. I believe free and open trade is not only the best way to make China a free and open nation, but it may be the only way. A vote to open the China market and the world experience to the Chinese people is a vote to open markets. What is a market? Market is simply an arena in which there is a sharing of information about market transactions, informations about desires, wants, hopes and dreams, and economic conditions. But one cannot share that information about economics without also sharing information about culture, politics, religion, and values. Information is the life blood of a market. It is also poison to dictators, because dictators know that it is the truth that will set one free. When we open the China market, citizens from all over China will be carrying devices like this, a simple little pocket PC. With that PC, they can connect to the Internet every bit of information about culture, religion, markets, economics, and freedom and dignity available on this Earth. They cannot be stopped.”