> We have it pounded into our heads that we need globalization in the form of open markets with no protectionism for US companies and immigration That's becaus

> We have it pounded into our heads that we need globalization in the form of open markets with no protectionism for US companies and immigration That's because we went through a neoliberal shift after ww2. Prior to ww2, we were leaders of protectionism. "According to Paul Bairoch, since the end of the 18th century, the United States has been "the homeland and bastion of modern protectionism". In fact, the United States never adhered to free trade until 1945." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protectionism_in_the_United_States#History https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protectionism_in_the_United_St... We needed protectionism in order to protect our much younger companies/industries so that they can develop and grow and compete against more established british/european companies. > yet china almost completely locks out foreign businesses and takes next to no immigrants and is obviously a quickly growing global superpower. They need protectionism in order for their own companies or industries to develop. Otherwise, western corporations would just flood in and own the chinese market. The problem is when chinese industries mature and their own markets get saturated, they are going to be in the same situation as the US/West. They are going to want to open up markets a round the world to sell their goods to and invest their excess capital.