It seems only appropriate on this New Year's Day that we make a few personal resolutions, to start the year out right. These are easy. Losing 20 pounds — that's hard.

I will embrace free trade: For all you die-hard protectionists out there, study up and come over to the side of free trade — one of the signature issues on which our republic was founded. Just about any undergraduate student in economics can explain why free trade is good. But with so many competing special interests for the subsidy and protection of industries, the simple explanation tends to get lost amid the din.

Without going into a treatise on David Ricardo's Theory of Comparative Advantage, please resolve to acknowledge, as most economists do, the efficiencies to be gained when nations specialize in what they do best and trade for that which they do not. Slap a tariff or import quota on there, however, and trade becomes not so efficient. In fact, it can become downright expensive, especially to the low-income consumer. So in 2006, remember: free trade good; protectionism bad.

I will accept globalization: What is globalization, anyway? Well, there are many definitions, depending upon whom you ask. Washington University economist Murray Weidenbaum and I came up with this one a few years ago: "Globalization is the process by which open markets and private business firms operating across the globe provide for faster economic growth, greater variety of products and services at lower prices to consumers, stronger environmental protections, better working conditions and higher wages, improvements in human rights, and more democratic governments." These are good things, and the data unequivocally support that free and open markets produce them.

The first time early humans took a walk and traded maize for meat with the tribe over the next hill, globalization was born. It's not going away. In fact, globalization is going to accelerate to the point where governments can do little to obstruct it and the prosperity that results for the world's peoples.

I will stop blaming America: The "Blame America First" crowd can always find some sinister, imperialistic conspiracy being hatched at the highest levels of our government and industry to dominate and impoverish the world. Get a grip. If you believe that America is the "bad guy," you may not have noticed that we have a little immigration issue going on right now — the greatest numbers of people since the early 20th century are coming to our nation seeking freedom and a better life for themselves and their children. Is America perfect? No. We've still got racism, corruption, hunger and want like the rest of the world. But we are still the good guys and the only hope for freedom in the world.

I will support our troops: Isolationism is once again gaining favor in the United States with the unpopularity of the war in Iraq. But we are at war. The very best our country has to offer are sacrificing their lives and their limbs in this cause. Our troops deserve our full support. If we leave before the job is done, it's pretty obvious that Iraq will descend into all-out civil war, destabilizing the entire Middle East. So stop harping on whether we should have invaded Iraq or not. Right or wrong, we're there, and the only question now should be what do we have to do to stabilize the country and get our troops home as soon as possible, starting this year.

We usually don't keep our New Year's resolutions. But these are a few that you can do, and you don't even have to skip that piece of pie.

Happy New Year.