But economists’ ideas would not have gone very far without significant changes in the underlying configuration of political interests in favor of open trade. For every worker and firm affected adversely by import competition, there is one or more worker and firm expecting to reap the benefits of access to markets abroad.
对于受益于自由贸易的那些利益团体来说，经济学家的论调当然对他们有好处，但对于受到国外商品冲击的国内工人或是公司来看，他们并没有从国外市场中获得一丁点的好处。