It’s frustrating to see so many so-called conservatives abandoning free-market principles in favor of big-government policies

Protectionism and industrial policy are just fancy ways of saying government interference, which always leads to inefficiency and cronyism. Free markets create innovation and prosperity, while government meddling only picks winners and losers. The right used to understand that, but now they're just as guilty as the left when it comes to expanding government power. If conservatives keep embracing government intervention, what exactly separates them from the statist policies they claim to oppose? True liberty means trusting individuals and businesses to make their own economic decisions—not letting politicians and bureaucrats decide.