Xi Jinping and Donald Trump outside the Great Hall of the People

Economics

经济与美国国家安全

Dec 26, 2017 Martin Feldstein

发自剑桥——白宫在本月早些时候发布的《国家安全战略》跟以前国会委任每四年制定一次的战略有所不同。而这份2017年版报告的差异之处在于强调了经济的作用，正如其内文所指出的那样：“经济安全就是国家安全”。

报告的大部分内容都是与传统国家安全事务有关：军事预算，联盟以及如何与俄罗斯和中国这类被新报告称之为“战略竞争者”（而非敌手）的国家打交道，同时国内经济的增长，国际贸易的作用以及美国的新优势能源地位也受到了极大关注。

特朗普政府将其监管改革和最近制定的税收立法作为增加经济增长战略是正确的做法。因为只有一个更庞大的经济体才能提供资源去建设更为强大的军事实力。但只有国会在未来增加国防预算，把目标锁定在那些最需要扩张的领域之时，经济增长才会转化为更有效的国防力量。

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Martin Feldstein

Writing for PS since 2008
130 Commentaries

Martin Feldstein was Professor of Economics at Harvard University and President Emeritus of the National Bureau of Economic Research. He chaired President Ronald Reagan’s Council of Economic Advisers from 1982 to 1984. In 2006, he was appointed to President Bush's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, and, in 2009, was appointed to President Obama's Economic Recovery Advisory Board. He was also on the board of directors of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Trilateral Commission, and the Group of 30, a non-profit, international body that seeks greater understanding of global economic issues.

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B Wilds Dec 29, 2017

People are naive if they do not recognize the distinct advantage a state-driven economy has over free enterprise, at least initially. A bit predatory in nature, such a system can quickly exploit the weaknesses of its competitors. It is important we recognize China is a state-run economy based on a business model that is geared to expand by crushing the competition.

Subsidizing those companies working within its system in a multitude of ways helps it achieve this goal. Countries that export goods at slightly below cost in exchange for manufacturing jobs are not stupid they are predatory and we in America are their prey. The article below explores the ramifications of this.

http://brucewilds.blogspot.com/2017/12/china-state-driven-business-model.html
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Misty Fonseca Dec 28, 2017

China has always had a protectionist economy. The trade deficit will fix itself when U.S. stores start selling U.S products, like Wal-Mart who bring in $49 billion of Chinese goods a year. It's companies doing anything to maximize profits at the expense of American workers that is causing the trade deficit, and it's obvious. China is right to be protectionist to a degree. Look what is happening here and what happened in Mexico after NAFTA when the farmers and others were driven out of business.
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Paul Friesen Dec 27, 2017

I find disgusting the amount of effort some Americans seem to feel should be put into maintaining their world economic dominance. The U.S. is not richer than China because its people are harder working or smarter. It is richer because of luck. Industry began clustering there long before it began clustering in China. Industry creates an environment in which more industry develops and which attracts other industry. The rich countries of today are just the ones that were lucky enough to develop industrial clusters early after the industrial revolution, giving them an advantage which has propagated down the centuries.
This system of in-built advantage is now, thankfully, breaking down. Starting with Japan, many countries of Asia have begun an industrialization process which has led to rapid growth and great improvements in welfare. But instead of celebrating this, many in rich countries try to hold the process back as much as possible. The U.S., especially, tries to use its economic clout to write the rules and bully the rest of the planet into accepting them.
I am glad that it now seems to have met its match in China. China is still a poor country. That means, despite what people like Trump say, that it does not yet have its fair share of industry. But that is changing fast. When it does get its fair share, it will be as rich per capita as other rich countries. And given that it has roughly 3X the population of the U.S., it will replace it as the world's dominant economy. I only hope that it does not prove to be as much of a bully as the U.S. has. I only hope that it does not misuse its dominance to try to keep as much industry for itself as possible instead of sharing with other countries that have yet to begin industrialization. It is not being given a good example to follow.
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Steve Hurst Dec 27, 2017

'But that economic growth can translate into more effective national defense only if Congress enacts future increases in the defense budget'
Its unwise to have economic policy so heavily influenced by the war effort
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Mirek Fatyga Dec 27, 2017

the unmistakable sign of a declining society is blaming others for your own failures.
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Steve Hurst Dec 26, 2017

Doesnt appear to have been written in the marketplace
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