ABSTRACT
INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN PERSPECTIVE Perhaps it is America’s preoccupation with such notions as the “self-made man,” “self-determination,” and “self-sufficiency.” The short-sighted immersion in oneself is both complemented and countered by a strong emphasis on efficiency, competitiveness, and competition. Americans like simultaneously to subscribe to all as paramount values. However, philosophical conflicts give way to political polarization when it comes to the matter of free trade. Individual strength and self-reliance as a cornerstone of American ideology have been tempered over the years by recognition of the gains to be had from deploying the world’s resources so that countries specialize according to what they can produce most efficiently and then trade those domestically produced goods for commodities that can be produced more efficiently by other countries. Recognition of the economic merits of this position, coupled with a fearless taste for competition on a global scale, encouraged American political leadership to embark upon reducing trade barriers decade after decade, especially in the post-World War II period.
