David Brooks on Tariffs: We Can’t Become a Great Nation by Building Walls Around Ourselves, Your Model There Is North Korea

BROWN I read your ░░░░░░░░ ed in The New ░░░░░░░░ Times and you lay ░░░░░░░░ the case that there ░░░░░░░░ really a crisis of ░░░░░░░░ thinking in America right ░░░░░░░░ You write quote What ░░░░░░░░ when people lose the ░░░░░░░░ to reason or render ░░░░░░░░ judgments Ladies and gentlemen ░░░░░░░░ present to you Donald ░░░░░░░░ s tariff policy I ░░░░░░░░ never seen a policy ░░░░░░░░ stupid as this one ░░░░░░░░ is based on false ░░░░░░░░ It rests on no ░░░░░░░░ argument in its favor ░░░░░░░░ mean this is a ░░░░░░░░ indictment of the Trump ░░░░░░░░ Why do you reject ░░░░░░░░ administration s justifications of ░░░░░░░░ the international playing field ░░░░░░░░ bringing manufacturing back to ░░░░░░░░ U S BROOKS Yeah ░░░░░░░░ have to say I ░░░░░░░░ there are all sorts ░░░░░░░░ policies that I ve ░░░░░░░░ and we ve all ░░░░░░░░ in our careers as ░░░░░░░░ Personally I ve never ░░░░░░░░ one as stupid as ░░░░░░░░ one It has no ░░░░░░░░ among economists of left ░░░░░░░░ or center with almost ░░░░░░░░ just very few exceptions ░░░░░░░░ s based on false ░░░░░░░░ that we should really ░░░░░░░░ about trade deficits It ░░░░░░░░ based on just fallacious ░░░░░░░░ in every respect And ░░░░░░░░ s sort of among ░░░░░░░░ consensus among experts You ░░░░░░░░ t bring back trade ░░░░░░░░ don t bring back ░░░░░░░░ by crushing international exchange ░░░░░░░░ you look at the ░░░░░░░░ that have flourished in ░░░░░░░░ world through human history ░░░░░░░░ go back to Venice ░░░░░░░░ the Renaissance you go ░░░░░░░░ to Amsterdam in the ░░░░░░░░ century you go back ░░░░░░░░ Britain in the 19th ░░░░░░░░ you go back to ░░░░░░░░ in the 20th century ░░░░░░░░ have they all had ░░░░░░░░ common They were crossroads ░░░░░░░░ They were nations not ░░░░░░░░ of trade and productivity ░░░░░░░░ exchange of ideas exchange ░░░░░░░░ people And so they ░░░░░░░░ places where the whole ░░░░░░░░ wanted to send their ░░░░░░░░ people and their best ░░░░░░░░ and their best ideas ░░░░░░░░ out of that dynamism ░░░░░░░░ resulted And the idea ░░░░░░░░ we can become a ░░░░░░░░ nation by building walls ░░░░░░░░ ourselves well your model ░░░░░░░░ is North Korea and ░░░░░░░░ s not a very ░░░░░░░░ model.”