Protectionism is back, above all, in the US. The driving forces behind it are xenophobia and nostalgia. Arguments can be made for a degree of self-sufficiency, for reasons of national security. But those arguments need meticulous assessment. This is not what has been happening, certainly not under Donald Trump. But though the tone is different under Joe Biden, the reality is not, alas. On the contrary, protection has become one of the few issues on which there is bipartisan consensus.
保护主义卷土重来,尤其是在美国。在背后起推动作用的是仇外和怀旧情绪。可以提出一些理由来证明有必要实现一定程度的自给自足,这是出于国家安全的考虑,但需要对这些理由进行细致的评估。一直没有进行这样的评估,在唐纳德•特朗普(Donald Trump)的任期内当然不会有。乔•拜登(Joe Biden)上台后,尽管论调不一样,但现实状况却没什么不同。相反,实施保护主义已成为两党能达成共识的少数几个问题之一。