The key problem with any attempt to revitalize nationalist interests is that there's nothing that keeps people together as it once did in the past. There's little, if any, affinity between people as it once existed in the past here in the US. A Kansan has little concern for the matters that affect an Alabaman or a Texan having any worries for the plight of the New Yorker. Effectively, the US is just a collection of nations than a nation onto itself. I'm not sure what Bannon expects to happen if nationalism does finally take root because if people have more affinity for their home/resident state than they do for the United States then that just means the US ceases to be relevant in the lives of the average person and the whole fantasy of a unified nationalistic United States evaporates. Unless he's wants the abolition of the United States I can't imagine his plan ever working out.

I'm not sure it has truly been any different except during times of national emergency, e.g. WWII. The states were always like separate little nations and people traditionally never described themselves as American but rather as Texan, Minnesotan, New Yorker, and people from New Jersey just kept quiet ;-)

I never understood Bannon or what his role was supposed to be or which parts of the platform he represented. In general, I'm not opposed to the US re-establishing itself after decades of not even trying, but I doubt this Administration is going to accomplish that. For me, Trump is the closest thing to a libertarian (and yes,I know he's not very libertarian--I mean, compared to the big government freaks like Clinton, McCain, Obama, etc.) we have ever elected, but I know better than to expect any good outcomes because big business and big government don't want to relinquish any power or create the conditions for wealth to trickle down, or really do any of the human-centric things that we need. The machine just blindly defends itself until the machine eventually breaks and we go through a collapse. I don't want there to be a collapse, but without real reform, that's where we'll end up.

ETA: Americans have been screwed since Day 1 of going off of the gold standard. The internal powers that run things were handed the keys to draining the people's wealth at that moment and we've never recovered and that was 1971! It's amazing we got this far.

Has anyone ever laid out an argument for why bilateral trade deals are better than things like TPP?

There seems to be no substance to this argument. It fits the pattern of Trump attacking something that's on balance good, but which is complex enough to easily find things to attack if you are entirely without a moral compass and just want to undermine your opponent. Then proposing to do the same thing "better" in some vague and unspecific way. Then failing to do so.

Something like TPP improves the bargaining power of its multitude of smaller members whereas bilateral trade agreements favor the largest participant as it can divide and conquer.

I believe Trump, in his mind, would rather throw his weight around against the German auto industry for example and "cut a deal" with Merkel rather than with the entire EU.

http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-trade-merkel-germany-eu...

The US has had an enviable trading position ever since Bretton Woods but the world has caught up. The US being unfairly squeezed or experiencing fair competition is a matter of perspective I suppose.

The Bannons of the world are not wrong to notice the US lead is shrinking and something has got to give - but perhaps their solutions are a bit naive.

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