Corporations exist only because of the legal fiat of "nations" (nation states, anyway). But, certainly not. Mercantilism benefits corporations much more strong

Corporations exist only because of the legal fiat of "nations" (nation states, anyway). But, certainly not. Mercantilism benefits corporations much more strongly. Diseconomies of scale can be mostly inhibited through a strategically designed trade and fiscal policy. Slower falling unit production costs and opportunities for price fixing abound, as the "nation" (well, non-aristocratic taxpayers, anyway) bears these costs. Nor do tariffs necessarily reduce unemployment. The mercantile firm may well decide to keep its selling prices stable at a markup (especially given its lower customer base) and just lay workers off in event of supply shocks or other. Protection is a Faustian gambit for more rapid growth today at the expense of hulking inefficient corporations tomorrow. Corporations that would not exist without it.