1767-Jan.-28: An analysis of national wealth in the Affiches Américaines posited that the most prosperous nations are those that consume the products of thei…

1767-Jan.-28: An analysis of national wealth in the Affiches Américaines posited that the most prosperous nations are those that consume the products of their own soil. Conversely, the text described nations preoccupied with foreign luxury materials as inherently indigent and wasteful. The immense consumption of imported luxuries was viewed as a total loss that could never be compensated by export surpluses. This protectionist economic perspective sought to encourage a focus on self-sufficiency and “sure products” over “dazzling chimeras.”