"Free" Trade Agreements Are Part of the U.S.' Hegemony Strategy

[Yavin4]

By signing these one way trade agreements and building trade deficits, these nations then buy our debt. That makes our debt easier to inflate which is how we pay for our military empire.

[FarCenter]

1. But note that it only works for a while, e.g. British Empire in the mid 1800s

Britain was the dominant economy and empire after the Napoleonic Wars, and was the primary exponent of free trade during the mid 1800s. However, it only worked for a while. With the rise of Germany, the US, Russia, Argentina, etc., after 1870, Britian lost her competitiveness and free trade became a disadvantage to her. During the Long Depression of 1873-96, free trade fell out of favor, other than with the colonies within the British Empire, who could be persuaded politically to trade on favorable terms.

[Yavin4]

2. Of Course It Won't Last. All Empires Fall.

Empire lovers are like heroin addicts. No amount of reasoning or evidence or history works on them. They're high on being an empire, and just like addicts, only a major crash or death changes their mind.