Source: Reason
by Eric Boehm
“One danger of nationalism, Friedrich Hayek warned in 1960, was the ‘bridge’ it provides ‘from conservatism to collectivism.’ ‘To think in terms of ‘our’ industry or resource,’ he wrote, ‘is only a short step away from demanding that these national assets be directed in the national interest.’ That’s a short step that President Donald Trump has eagerly taken. In the first nine months of his second term in office, the president has overseen a giant government leap into the boardrooms of strategically important businesses. … Trump would not be the first leader to believe that greater state control of key industries and economic sectors would translate into better growth and stronger security. But from Soviet Russia to modern China, the best parallels come from authoritarian regimes rather than American presidencies.” (for publication 01/26)