COVID‐19 has stress‐tested government quality and many Western states have been found wanting. So conclude John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge in their new book. 

The United States has responded to its dependence on “rare earth materials” from China as a national emergency and instituted tariffs on such materials to encourage diversification. This move not only harms consumers but will also likely be slow to achieve the desired results.

It ignores budget constraints and isn’t attached to any kind of realistic strategy. It’s like the Spanish Armada all over again.