[ertgbnm]

The only problem I have with articles like this is that it frames what Trump is doing with an air of intention. Most readers will obviously think that becoming mercantilist is a bad idea. However, readers will also walk away with the notion that these actions have all been done with the a grand plan in mind.

The reality is much more stupid though. Recent policies have been made without any plan to begin with. There is no driving philosophy of "we must create modern mercantilism" and the resulting policies being a coherent plan to bring about that change. Instead actions are being made based on the split second decision making of a moron would lacks the most basic understanding of economics much less mercantilism.

This is a decidedly worse world than one in which the plan is simply a bad one. A bad plan would at least be coherent and something that our allies could predict and make their own plans around. Nevertheless, I think the thesis is broadly correct as being the outcome of recent actions.

[ambicapter]

I don't think they're gracing him with an air of intention. I think they're just looking at what he's doing and finding the closest model that makes reasonably accurate predictions about the future.

[analog31]

I don't think so. Recent actions are not delivering an industrial policy, or promoting research. They are not addressing the distribution of "wealth and power" which is possibly more important than its magnitude.

[tootie]

True. And in a few years we'll find out how much Trump has actually affected the nation's trajectory. His trade policy is an absolute 180 from GOP orthodoxy and members of his own party have mostly said "we'll do what the president wants" and not "we think this is a great idea". I'd wager a lot of this policy gets undone at the first opportunity.

[UncleOxidant]

> I'd wager a lot of this policy gets undone at the first opportunity.

You're likely right, but it likely won't happen for about 3.5 years during which time much damage will be done.

[legitster]

Trump doesn't have to have intention.

The trend of the US pulling out of the "global order" has already been happening. It's just that Trump is taking something that was happening gradually, and through his policy button-mashing, accelerated it much faster