Technology, not trade, is a chief cause of U.S. wage stagnation, Krugman argues, and imposing tariffs would merely raise prices and foster inefficiency. In a series of technical papers on the North American Free Trade Agreement, Leamer has argued that a commitment to free trade could lower the annual wages of unskilled U.S. workers by as much as a thousand dollars. Politically as well as intellectually, such findings are becoming increasingly difficult to dismiss. But if the global economy remains unregulated, the appeal of this new protectionism will doubtless grow. Throw open America's doors to all who wish to shop here, sell here, move here, live here.
Nationality means nothing.
Echoing the social critic Christopher Lasch, Buchanan excoriates multinational corporations that exhibit no loyalty to community or flag. But, as Barber points out, the flip side of pride in local culture is a penchant for resorting to extreme and sometimes exclusionary forms of tribalism. Buchanan must be careful on this score. At the same time, however, he cannot resist complimenting California's stand on Proposition 187, which eliminated all public benefits to illegal immigrants. To be sure, not all forms of nationalism are ugly and exclusionary.