I'm also curious what you mean by "trade is not zero sum" when definitionally, trades are zero sum. Definitionally, trading doesn't create things on its own (t

I'm also curious what you mean by "trade is not zero sum" when definitionally, trades are zero sum. Definitionally, trading doesn't create things on its own (though I do recognize your D-K mind is probably trying to make an irrelevant and inappropriate point about comparative advantage or personal utility). The point that you're too stubborn to see is that one can trade goods/services (GDP) for debt/assets (Not GDP), and that is why imports can cause GDP to go down without economic activity going down, which I think is a fair read of the comment that started this whole dumb thing. You seem to have some reason to not want to understand that, even though I've tried very hard to gently inform you of that fact. Do you not think one of the most important features of the US economy is its ability to form capital/assets? Because if so, I bet you are German.