Governments will have no choice but to escalate protectionist measures to protect their tenure in office. The idea of a global marketplace is dependent on globally shared political realities. If only citizens of a country elect or empower a government as sovereign, it is a fanciful dream to believe that that sovereign power will choose to serve an international agenda against the express wishes of its citizens. The power of the sword only yields to the power of the purse when it is too weak to do otherwise. Weak states with failed budgetary controls will plead for internationalist long term thinking. Stronger states where taxation actually pays government salaries will be unable to think past the next no-confidence vote. This is as true in China as it is in Europe.
Governments will have no choice but to escalate protectionist measures to protect their tenure in office. The idea of a global marketplace is dependent on globally shared political realities. If only citizens of a country elect or empower a government as sovereign, it is a fanciful dream to believe that that sovereign power will choose to serve an international agenda against the express wishes of its citizens. The power of the sword only yields to the power of the purse when it is too weak to do otherwise. Weak states with failed budgetary controls will plead for internationalist long term thinking. Stronger states where taxation actually pays government salaries will be unable to think past the next no-confidence vote. This is as true in China as it is in Europe.