Protectionism rears its ugly head...

According to this story, protectionism is alive and well in Europe...actually, that is not too surprising, but does not bode well for trade in general. The political realities on the ground are likely overtaking ideological stances about trade...after all, the effects from protectionism are often subtle and difficult to cleanly identify. The US flirted with this through its "Buy American" provision of the "stimulus bill." The real fear is that global conflicts are often preceded by economic hardships often exacerbated by protectionist policies.