Understanding how Germany manipulated the global trading system to degrade its adversaries’ capabilities, entrap nations as reluctant allies, and build up its own industries for commercial and military advantage, just as China is doing, can shed light and point the way for solutions to the China challenge.

Publications: Robert D. Atkinson
January 20, 2021
January 19, 2021
If the nation ever succumbs and passes UBI, it will be the penultimate evolution of an American culture of selfishness. “Who doesn’t want free money?” you might ask. Everyone who is a responsible citizen.
January 19, 2021
For America to remain the global leader in IT, the U.S. government must formulate a grand strategy grounded in a new doctrine of “digital realpolitik.” The first priority should be advancing U.S. interests by spreading the U.S. digital innovation policy system and constraining digital adversaries, especially China. This will entail working with allies when possible—and pressuring them when necessary.
January 12, 2021
Rob Atkinson writes in American Compass that putting conservatives and moderates who embrace a national industrial strategy in the same boat as far left critical theory-inspired, identity politics warriors is just plain dumb, substantively and politically.
January 4, 2021
If Washington wants to show voters that government is doing something more than simply saying no or being ideologically dug in, then lawmakers and the administration should work to advance a set of actionable technology policy measures that would grow the U.S. economy.
December 23, 2020
Rob Atkinson writes in American Compass that some industries, such as semiconductor microprocessors (computer chips) can experience very rapid growth and reductions in cost, spark the development of related industries, and increase the productivity of other sectors of the economy.
December 12, 2020
The relevant dividing line in U.S. economic policy is no longer between markets and government; it is between growth and redistribution. Writing in American Compass, Rob D.
December 10, 2020
Rob Atkinson spoke at the Asia Times webinar on the Biden Administration's tech policy, including the tech war with China.
December 4, 2020
The EU and the United States should come to an agreement: Both nations will agree that the EU can engage in protectionist digital industrial policies only when and if the ratio between the trade deficit in IT/services is at least 10 percent the trade deficit in goods.
December 2, 2020
In a political weaponization of antitrust laws, the administration and its state AG allies decided to go to battle against Google over an issue the president thought was an obstacle to his re-election: the alleged collusion between big tech companies and the Democrats against himself.