U.S. President Barack Obama speechwriter Ben Rhodes once described the U.S. media, think tanks and other establishment critics trying to dominate the crafting of foreign policy as the "Blob." They still exist. So while the anti-Donald Trump variety are still wiping the post-election egg off their faces, let's take a closer look at some of the Trump policies they condemned so vehemently.
Take the Trump dislike of free trade blocs as one example. In the years before the Blob people embraced free trade as an academic fashion, it was taken for granted that developing nations should protect industries crucial to their industrial base and that developed nations should protect industries unfairly hit by the devalued currencies of many developing nations.
The concept of omnibus trade blocs including both developing and developed nations was seen as ridiculous. Such blocs existed for political, not trade promoting, reasons — like the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum and its Trans-Pacific Partnership successor intended to isolate China. If realized as planned they would have stunted the industrial growth of weaker members. The North American Free Trade Agreement, another Trump dislike, has had its pluses and minuses, but it has not been kind to either Mexican farmers or U.S. carmakers.
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