But-face, as I’ve written here before, is the tendency of politicians to start off sounding as if they favor freedom while actually talking against it. They give a flag-waving preamble along the lines of “Hey, I’m all for freedom,” follow that with “but,” then proceed with their intent on limiting freedom.
Here are some examples:
- Here in America, we know the free market is the greatest force for economic progress the world has ever known. But … — Barack Obama
- There is no greater force for economic growth than free markets. But … — Hillary Clinton
- I respect the Second Amendment, and I will not tamper with the Second Amendment. But … — John Kerry
President-elect Donald Trump had but-face of his own in defending his punitive tariff idea, a Hooveresque “35 percent tariff on products that are made overseas after having once been made in the U.S., which are then sold here”:
DONALD TRUMP: I don’t have to do it myself. I have great people. We have top, top smart people. But it’s so easy to do and we’re going to have to impose a major tax on companies that leave, build their product and think they’re going to sell it right through our border like we’re a bunch of jerks.
CHRIS WALLACE: But what about the free market, sir?
TRUMP: That is — that’s not free market when they go out and they move and they sell back into our country.
WALLACE: But that’s the free market. They made a decision and it makes —
TRUMP: No. That’s — that’s the dumb market, okay? That’s the dumb market. I’m a big free trader, but it has to be fair.
