Yet the Clinton administration disagrees, and it has practiced a trade policy that mirrors its statist domestic agenda. He demanded that China adopt and enforce U.S.-style copyright laws to benefit Hollywood. And he demanded that Japanese consumers put a Chrysler in every driveway. Corporate privileges have also contributed to the backlash against free trade. Multinationals claim to favor free trade, but then demand subsidies and loan guarantees from the Ex-Im Bank, OPIC, the IMF, and the World Bank.
Few programs inspire as much public hatred as foreign aid.
Not poor people abroad. Foreign and domestic politicians do, but most of the money goes to multinationals connected with the U.S. government. They take a classical ideal and convert it into an instrument of graft and government privilege. In normal times, people don't pay much attention to corporate salaries. But the middle class has been getting steadily poorer.