Excitement ahead of this week¡¯s 13th ministerial conference of the World Trade Organization is, let¡¯s say, well under control.
The question is not whether this once-important gathering will fail, but if it will fail in a way that is even worth noticing. The prevailing sentiment seems to be: ¡°True, this broken relic of neoliberalism is barely functioning any longer. Who cares?¡±
Regardless of your views on globalization, you should care. Unrepentant neoliberals like myself see the rising tide of trade protection and deliberate economic fragmentation as a grave mistake. On our view that liberal trade is good, a suitably refurbished and effective WTO is an essential component of rising global prosperity.
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