[tamalesfan]

> Normal economic theory says protectionism makes the pie smaller for everyone

And when those theories are discussed by serious minded people they are frequently forced to qualify the discussion with "except for those left behind," mostly because of the unavoidably obvious destruction all around them.

"Those left behind" being a euphemism for the working class of otherwise extremely wealthy countries.

When you've heard enough of this for enough decades it eventually dawns on you that it's just about cheap, exploitable labor. The rest is the professional class b.s. spin used to rationalize it.