Free Trade or Trade Wars: Controversies, Political Interests, and Narratives

This chapter tries to capture both the factors that created “the symbolic power” and “the symbolic efficacy” (Bourdieu. Critique of Anthropology, 4[13–14], 77–85, 1979) of economists’ narrative concerning international trade and map some critical factors of its transformation. First, we provide a brief overview of the theoretical concepts embedded in the economic mainstream that might explain what factors play a decisive role in shaping people’s attitudes towards free trade. Second, we look critically at the “economic consensus”. We seek to identify the importance of its coherence and erosion to the public discourse on free trade and outline the circumstances favouring either the coherence or the erosion of this economic narrative globally. We also list by name the “major players” in the global free trade debate. Finally, we try to capture the sounds of new tones that could prove to be dominant in post-consensus narratives.