After WWII, it was imperative that the US support free trade, especially if it meant taking a loss- all of their allies had had their industrial bases bombed ou

After WWII, it was imperative that the US support free trade, especially if it meant taking a loss- all of their allies had had their industrial bases bombed out. Pressing the advantage forever would have been churlish, shortsighted, and disastrous for anti-Communism. So we have this very necessary, but outdated, free trade at all costs intellectual superstructure that we're still stuck in. Probably in another 20 years we'll be out of that, when the last of the old guard retires.