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Yet there is evidence that larger trade agreements that bind economies together and create some sort of codependence have a function in reducing the likelihood

Yet there is evidence that larger trade agreements that bind economies together and create some sort of codependence have a function in reducing the likelihood of going to war. Ma is maybe guilty of conflating individual agreements between nation states and these kind of larger partnerships like Nafta, EU, Euratom etc (or not being sufficiently nuanced for effect). Of course, these large supranational agreements (rather than trading agreements per se) seem to be what Trump is opposing.

coldtea 10y ago
Seems like we've somehow forgotten that before Trump came to power to denounce those agreements, every leftie and liberal, that is, all non corporatists, were also against NAFTA, TPPA, etc (and rightly so).
- kristianc 10y ago
  In the US, maybe. The Eu enjoys broad support on the 'metropolitan' centre-left across Europe - only being opposed really by the extreme left and the centre to far right. Also, maybe the US should be careful what it wishes for. The UN, for instance, was set up post WWII to project US / Wilsonian values around the world. While trade deals / supranational agreements are inconvenient sometimes, the US may end up missing them when they're gone and the US has to deal with a truly multipolar world again.
  - coldtea 10y ago
    >In the US, maybe. The Eu enjoys broad support on the 'metropolitan' centre-left across Europe - only being opposed really by the extreme left and the centre to far right. Same in the US I think. I wasn't talking about democrats (the US "centre-left", but about the actual left. >Also, maybe the US should be careful what it wishes for. The UN, for instance, was set up post WWII to project US / Wilsonian values around the world. While trade deals / supranational agreements are inconvenient sometimes, the US may end up missing them when they're gone and the US has to deal with a truly multipolar world again Let it come, I say!

coldtea 10y ago

Seems like we've somehow forgotten that before Trump came to power to denounce those agreements, every leftie and liberal, that is, all non corporatists, were also against NAFTA, TPPA, etc (and rightly so).

kristianc 10y ago
In the US, maybe. The Eu enjoys broad support on the 'metropolitan' centre-left across Europe - only being opposed really by the extreme left and the centre to far right. Also, maybe the US should be careful what it wishes for. The UN, for instance, was set up post WWII to project US / Wilsonian values around the world. While trade deals / supranational agreements are inconvenient sometimes, the US may end up missing them when they're gone and the US has to deal with a truly multipolar world again.
- coldtea 10y ago
  >In the US, maybe. The Eu enjoys broad support on the 'metropolitan' centre-left across Europe - only being opposed really by the extreme left and the centre to far right. Same in the US I think. I wasn't talking about democrats (the US "centre-left", but about the actual left. >Also, maybe the US should be careful what it wishes for. The UN, for instance, was set up post WWII to project US / Wilsonian values around the world. While trade deals / supranational agreements are inconvenient sometimes, the US may end up missing them when they're gone and the US has to deal with a truly multipolar world again Let it come, I say!