GMU Economist Don Boudreaux makes a great point regarding international trade:
“Recognizing that moving from protectionism to free trade (or vice versa) has no long-run impact on the total number of jobs in the economy strikes the non-economist as odd. This recognition, however, is nearly universally shared by economists. The reason is straightforward: Economists understand that most of what is popularly believed to be unique to international trade is, in fact, not unique to international trade.
A change in the volume of trade that crosses political borders is merely one among countless different changes that occur constantly in modern economies. And this change -- like the great majority of other changes -- is driven by voluntary consumer choices.”
Greg Mankiw - Cautionary Tales from Abroad:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/23/business/financial-lessons-from-four-nations.html
The Global Race for Talent:
STEPHEN M. WALT on US Exceptionalism