Here lies protectionism, here rises our mordant want


This was the cover image of The Economist last week (with the caption: "The return of economic nationalism"). Given my deep love for all things undead, it warms this necro heart to see free-market champions turn to the only adequate iconography for this period, of the Frankensteinian attempt to shock the assemblage-corpse of deregulated capital into lurching, unholy life with massive bailouts.

(Of course, the subtitle of The Economist story: "A spectre is rising. To bury it, Barack Obama needs to take the lead." Such a modern-day Van Helsing will also need to try to pry anti-economic anti-nationalism from our cold, hungry living dead hands.)

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