Independence is a very subjective assessment.
People are wiser than we are willing to attribute to them.
Growth is a panacea for many ills in society; not entirely, but many.
The voter does not vote only on one issue, the voter votes on a multiplicity of issues.
Evidence points out that if you raise tariffs too much it will increase smuggling.
Criticism of a policy is welcome. But in the garb of criticizing a policy, if you allege that the policy was made for corrupt purposes, I reject it.