War Is Peace, Ignorance Is Strength, Freedom Is Restriction?

I'm sorry that I'm beating the proverbial dead Orwellian horse again, but when I read the the New York Times article saying that Obama Presses to Complete Free-Trade Deal With South Korea, I just couldn't help myself.

It's funny how politicians and journalists alike seem to think that “less restrictive” is the same as free. If I chain you to a tree and later decide to exchange the 30' chain with a 300' chain, does that make you free? This is not a free-trade deal at all. True, it is a deal that will lower some tariffs and remove some regulations, so we should still see it as a positive step towards economic freedom, right?

Wrong. Why, you may ask? Because as long as there are trade agreements between nations, no matter how insignificant the restrictions may be, we have morally accepted restrictions on trade as the norm, when the only moral position is that all human interactions should be free and voluntary.