Admittedly, economists have less latitude on television than in class. If a reporter interviews you about the trade deficit, but you keep changing the subject to comparative advantage, the interview might not be aired, and you reduce your chance of being interviewed again. But it is worth testing the limits of the media’s tolerance. It is not so off-putting to preface any mention of the trade deficit with a short disclaimer: “Trade deficits, contrary to popular opinion, are not a bad thing. Whenever the trade deficit goes up, people always want to ‘do something’ about it, but they’re
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