The deep protectionism which Trump is signifying with his executive orders is a manifestation of a long history of perceiving ethnic competition for jobs in the United States.

The same people who support Trump’s trade-first supremacy over the national security-first supremacy which has shaped our post-WW2 policy are the same people who rage against undocumented immigrants “taking” jobs. Their ancestors raged and engaged in race riots against Negroes, Asians and even Eastern Europeans “taking” jobs in big cities.

The ethnic majority in this country, or at least those who take “America First” seriously, will now proceed to screw over or remove anyone who gets in the way of their economic security. Anyone.

I wonder if there is historic precedent in other countries for this trade-first emphasis.