在美國人看來，特朗普的關稅政策也許是為了保護本土產業。
但事實並不像表面上那麼簡單。
美國著名時事評論員法裡德·扎卡里亞（Fareed Zakaria）揭露了這套關稅體系催生的骯髒交易：
它實則是透過複雜的關稅豁免機制助長腐敗，將美國經濟推向“裙帶資本主義”（crony capitalism）的深淵。
在《華盛頓郵報》4月11日發表的評論文章《待價而沽的美國經濟》（The US economy is for sale）中，扎卡里亞以犀利筆觸剖析了特朗普關稅政策如何成為權錢交易的溫床，並警示這一趨勢對美國自由市場根基的侵蝕。
These tariff negotiations will inevitably result in a cascade of corruption. The American economy is being transformed from the leading free market in the world to the leading example of crony capitalism. crony /ˈkrəʊni/ 密友；好朋友 crony capitalism 裙帶資本主義；權貴資本主義；朋黨資本主義
複雜的關稅體系 腐敗的天然土壤
扎卡里亞開篇即指出，市場經濟的高效運轉依賴於規則的清晰、公平與普適，而特朗普政府推行的關稅政策卻反其道而行。
低效只是其一，更嚴重的是，透過設定高關稅並配套複雜的豁免機制，政府實質上為特定企業和行業創造了尋租空間。
機制越複雜，腐敗越氾濫。
The more complicated the taxes, rules and regulations, the greater the inefficiency — as studies show in country after country, from India to Nigeria to Morocco. But more significant, the greater the complexity, the greater the corruption.
例如，2018年至2019年間，美國政府收到近50萬份關稅豁免申請，而審批標準卻模糊不清，特朗普甚至宣稱其決定基於“本能”。而政客“本能”恐怕是傾向於他們的捐助者的。
With tariffs come tariff waivers, often granted by the hundreds to specific industries, companies, even products. In 2018 and 2019, the Trump administration announced an assortment of tariffs, including 25 percent on steel, and also a program of waivers; they got around 500,000 applications. This week, when asked how he would determine these exemptions, Trump replied, “instinctively”.waiver /ˈweɪvə(r)/ （對權利或要求的）放棄exemption /ɪɡˈzempʃn/ 免除，豁免Studies show that politicians' instincts usually favor their contributors, which then encourages pervasive corruption.
學術研究佐證了這一機制的腐敗傾向：一項針對特朗普首任期內關稅豁免的研究發現，向共和黨提供政治獻金的企業更易獲得豁免，而支援民主黨的企業獲批機率則驟降。
A detailed academic study of the tariffs in Trump’s first term found that “companies that made substantial investments in political connections to Republicans prior to and during the beginning of the Trump administration were more likely to secure exemptions for products otherwise subject to tariffs. Conversely, companies that made contributions to Democratic politicians had decreased odds of tariff exemption approval.”
保守派智庫美國企業研究所（AEI）的蒂莫西·卡尼（Timothy Carney）更直言，特朗普當選後“貿易遊說行業迎來爆發式增長”(“Trump's first election created a trade lobbying boom”)。
這種“按政治站隊分配利益”的模式，將公共政策異化為私相授受的工具。
從自由市場到“美國巴扎”
扎卡里亞以“美國巴扎”（American Bazaar）為喻，諷刺當前美國經濟已成為各國企業與政府競相遊說的“交易場”。
With the highest tariffs in the industrialized world, the American bazaar is now open. Countries and companies will descend on Washington to cut deals and gain carve-outs, exemptions and special terms.
作者進一步援引經濟學家米爾頓·弗裡德曼（Milton Friedman）的警示：企業家雖口頭擁護自由市場，卻熱衷尋求美國政府特惠。
It is worth recalling Milton Friedman’s repeated admonition: “You can get any leading businessman to give you an eloquent speech on the virtues of a free market. But when it comes to their own business, they want to go down to Washington and get a special tariff to protect their business. They want a special tax deduction. They want a tax subsidy.”
印度裔的扎卡里亞早年親歷印度保護主義之弊，深知這種現象曾導致經濟停滯、貧窮落後與腐敗橫行，而如今美國正重蹈覆轍。
The India I grew up in was a country riddled with tariffs, high barriers designed to protect the country’s domestic industry and shield it from what was regarded as unfair foreign competition. It produced stagnation, poverty and lots of corruption.
看著美國的科技先鋒和華爾街巨頭為換取政策優待，競相吹捧特朗普的“天才決策”，讚美其如何“英明”挽救他自己搞亂的經濟時，扎卡里亞不免痛心疾首：“我到底生活在哪個國度？”
Now I watch tech pioneers give interviews slavishly extolling Trump's genius and Wall Street titans race to post … congratulations to the president for his brilliance in rescuing the economy from his own actions, and I wonder, what country am I living in?
編輯：左卓
來源：華盛頓郵報
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