I eliminated all of the answer choices. I'm not sure how the author does not question the ethical basis of an economic situation. The moral that the author suggests in the stimulus is that a country cannot live for long without foreign trade. However, we are told that the U.S. has found most of it's raw materials and customers within the country and has suffered consequences from not participating in more foreign trade. Wouldn't this suggest that the author is questioning the ethical basis of the economic situation (not a lot of foreign trade) in the U.S.?

Admin note: edited title