A Chequer-Board of Nights and Days

I have written before and will write again that when Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama talk about restoring our international standing, they seem to forget that part and parcel of being liked and respected around the world is engaging robustly in free trade. As Clinton and Obama increasingly give themselves to the Dark Side of the Force when it comes to trade policy, it falls upon others to remind them that the world expects America to be a good trading partner:

The British foreign secretary has sent a warning to the Democratic presidential hopefuls that the UK is concerned by their campaign-trail attacks on free trade.

David Miliband, who is meeting advisers to the presidential rivals in the US this week, says the UK is troubled by the protectionist stance taken by the candidates, insisting Washington must remain committed to global trade "in a very fundamental way".

Mr Miliband said he did not want to criticise any of the candidates in the contest, but that the UK would be forthright in arguing against any shift by the US towards protectionism.

Amid signs that the UK is troubled by calls from Barack Obama for measures such as trade tariffs on China, Mr Miliband said: "American internationalism has been a feature of all periods of global progress . . . It's absolutely clear that the world needs an America that's engaged with the global trading system in a very fundamental, very committed way . . . The problem is not too much trade, the problem is too little trade. That is our position as a British government, and it will be articulated clearly and consistently."

There has been so much talk about how we need to win international respect by getting out of Iraq--and Miliband does appear to hint at continuing displeasure over the fact that Iraq remains a foreign and military policy issue for the United States and Britain to deal with--but there has been comparatively little discussion concerning how necessary it is to maintain a strongly pro-free trade stance in order to ensure the continuation of good relations with our allies. One wonders just how long it will take for people in the mainstream media to bring up statements such as the one that Miliband made and ask people like Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton why they seem bound and determined to make America disliked when it comes to the issue of trade, globalization and expanding prosperity.