[palmotea]

> When US can't compete, they have to blackmail/steal/sanction to rescue their failed corporations. The same stealing accusation they level at China.

I'm glad the US is learning some positive lessons here. China has shown that joint ventures and forced technology transfers are the way to go, and the US has shown that an uncritical embrace of the free market/free trade sets you up on a glide path to national vulnerability and eventual irrelevance (while a few dudes get very rich in the process).

[AtlasBarfed]

"Free market" has disappeared from right wing political discourse for decades now. It was used to get both achieve desired deregulation and simultaneously regulatory capture to attain cartel/monopoly status in almost all markets.

The free trade era is definitely ending. I though Zeihan was nuts saying piracy and sea security would degrade back to mercantilist/privateer days, but it does appear that will happen especially with the Ukraine war showing littoral theater dominance of cheap drones.

Also, free trade and free seas was predicated on the US needing oil. With shale oil, alt energy, and the rise of the EV, the strategic significance of oil will plummet over the next decade. Why have a dozen carrier groups? Why have three?

[palmotea]

> "Free market" has disappeared from right wing political discourse for decades now.

"Disappeared for decades" is pushing it, but I'd give you "reduced in prominence for a decade" (e.g. since Trump's rise).

That said, "an uncritical embrace of the free market/free trade" is still a pretty common stance on HN.

[AtlasBarfed]

I don't remember the precise moment.

I think it died in the Bush years when there was oodles of money being spent on two wars and PartD medicare and the new Homeland Defense boondoggle.

There was a lot of money to be made off of the government in those days.