Trump Hurts U.S. Exports in the Marketplace of Ideas
America’s economic might depends as much on intellectual exports as on the more tangible kind.
Exporting American ideas one tweet at a time.
Photographer: Pool/Getty Images North AmericaIf you are a believer in free markets, you might be tempted to be pleased by some of the more positive policies of the Trump administration: lower corporate tax rates, more market-friendly judges, a greater emphasis on deregulation. Resist (the temptation, if not the administration). When it comes to ideas, the lifeblood of capitalism, the influence of President Donald Trump isn’t nearly so benign.
In fact, even without considering its policy on free trade, advocates of dynamic capitalism should be especially suspicious of the Trump presidency. Consider one of the most prominent pro-market arguments, as it is applied to some other more general contexts.