Yes trade follows the flag.This is very famous quote.We are going to discuss the essay about this topic.The conquest of a country by a nation secures market for its trade and commerce. Every country has its own trade and commerce and it will oppose in all possible ways the introduction of foreign merchandise in that country. The only way of finding a permanent market in that country is by conquering it and killing its native trade and commerce either by physical force or by ruthless competition.
This gospel of trade is being vigorously followed by the Western nations who roamed and are still roaming through the world in search of new countries to conquer, so that their trade may flourish.
The Philosophy Of Trade Follows The Flag
Examples-The English came to India to trade; in the court of the great Mughals they were received as mere traders. But with the breakup of the Mughal Empire and during the unsettled state of the country they found hindrance to their trading operations. So in order to secure a monopoly of trade, they conquered the country, and it is this conquest that has made them the rich nation they are now.Spain conquered South America and found a great market for trade. She became a great power in Europe by her new discoveries and conquests.
These examples will rather go to show that it is for trade that the countries were conquered. It is the case of the flag following the trade rather than trade following the flag. Of course it must be acknowledged that trade received its impetus after conquest, and in that sense trade followed the flag.
Modern industrialism with its large-scale and almost unlimited production has given a dangerous impetus to the trading-desire and therefore to the desire for conquest. These manufactures are too heavy to be consumed by the country of production, hence some market must be found out for them at any cost.
But the countries of the world have been practically conquered and divided by the Western nations. So very few countries remain to be snatched away from the non Europeans. Therefore they are now fighting among themselves.
And where fighting is not possible they are adopting ruthless competition to find market for trade. But competition is not the law of life, it is the law of death, says Mr. Ramsay MacDonald. It alienates people and increases ill feeling. Competition is a sort of civil conquest.
