The right answer on trade is unilateral free trade, and the hard part is only explaining why the objections fail.

Added to korrents 7 Sept 2026 · How quotes work · Something wrong? Tell us

Where this collides

• Cannot both be true

  Europe cannot keep the world's strictest environmental and social rules, invest less than its competitors and run a more naive trade policy, and still expect to create jobs.

  Cochrane says the right answer is unilateral free trade and that the rest is explaining why the objections fail. Macron says Europe cannot run a more naive trade policy than its competitors and still expect to create jobs, which is the objection stated as a policy. One of them is describing the other as naive.

Shared subject first, then similar wording. They may agree or disagree.

• A country should raise revenue by tariffing foreign countries rather than by taxing its own citizens. DTDonald Trump20 Jan 2025tariffs
• A trade dispute escalated by aggressive tariffs can still end in a negotiated outcome that leaves all sides better off. GSGuy Spier30 May 2025tariffs
• America's large trade deficit in manufactured goods means fewer US manufacturing jobs than balanced trade would. PKPaul Krugman7 Sept 2026tariffs
• Cutting off trade with tariffs would force a huge interest-rate spike and probably a debt crisis, because the budget deficit would have to be financed at home. JCJohn H. Cochrane14 Apr 2025tariffs
• Erratic U.S. tariff implementation is teaching allies and enemies that the U.S. is no longer a reliable trading partner. JCJL Collins9 Feb 2026tariffs

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